


Feels like home

by ErrolsFeather



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels, Angels, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Fluff, Guardian Angels, Horses, Lesbian Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-09-27 11:16:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20406832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErrolsFeather/pseuds/ErrolsFeather
Summary: This is an AU SwanQueen story.Emma has been a Guardian Angel for longer than she can remember, helping countless of people. Only when she meet the young Regina Mills it feels different. Regina on the other hand is raised by her parents that has made it clear to her that she is to marry within her class, she and her sister both. Fate however changes that when Guardian Angel Emma Swan, is set to work at as a stable girl, changing the family in more than one way with her love for the horses, Regina, and her strong opinions.





	Feels like home

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Feels Like Home [Protostar Art]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20473583) by [alysseashell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alysseashell/pseuds/alysseashell). 

> Author's Note : This work is for Alysseashell that made the art for it. I really hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It really was a good challenge. 
> 
> Hades in this story is called Lord Zane Brightburn, and Lancelot is Lance. 
> 
> Author's Note 2 : Thanks to my wonderful beta SereneQueen92 for helping me out with this, I couldn't have done this without you. Also a huge thank to everyone on the SQSN discord group that help me out with various questions regarding angels and so on.

** _Feels Like Home_ **

Emma didn’t know how long she had been an angel before she got set on the task of helping a girl named Regina Mills. She had come across a lot of persons before, more than she sometimes care to remember, yet this one was different.

Her task was or should have been easy she was to guide and support her at any measure, and teach the young woman to stand up for herself. She had done it before, with adults, with children and even senior citizens all over the world. She loved her work and the progress in helping her persons believe in God, themselves, love, sometimes all three or sometimes something completely different. In short, the angel gave them what they needed and moved on, never to see them again, or seldom.

She let the humans she protected in different shape in human form, as it depended on the situation what she looked like. The was one similarity though, as she was always blonde with green blue eyes, blonde hair, athletic and she liked red shirts or in all cases has a red leather jacket. She assumed that long ago when she was a human that was what she looked like. Still she could appear, young, a teenager, and adult, or an old woman pending on the situation she was in.

This time as it was her younger self, in her early twenties, meaning the person she was paired up was most likely around her late teens or early twenties. When she saw her first, she came to the conclusion, around eighteen. First, she didn’t appear as herself though, to learn about her person. This time it was a girl, that right now she was downstairs in a big house, dancing to some music along with either a friend or her older sister. They used remote controls as microphones, singing along with some pop song, laughing, she seemed happy. So happy that she asked, “Are you sure you sent me to the right place?”

“I am sure, Emma, be patient,” she heard a female voice in her head. Her superior, Ingrid, that was how they usually connected through thoughts. Emma felt confused, so much so that Ingrid wondered if she should ask God if he was sure about this decision.

Emma shook her head, wondering if she should come back later, when she heard the front door open. She didn’t even know why she got a bad feeling, something wrong was going to happen, she just knew. She always had a sixth sense about these things. She knew she had to warn the girls, but how, could she knock something over, or maybe…

Too late as a middle-aged woman appeared in the room. That had to be her or their mother the angel quickly concluded. Emma watched as the woman yelled at them for playing around like fools, especially today. They were going to host a big party, and they should have started with the preparations and then gotten dressed. Both girls looked guilty as they ran upstairs. Emma followed suit and made her way to Regina’s room. She could see her crying, finding a notebook hidden deep within the closet, she sat down on her bed writing. The angel sat down beside her, reading as she wrote, “The big party is tonight, and I really don’t want to go, I don’t want to be paraded around as a prices horse yet again. I can’t take this anymore, be sold of as a priced mare, only to breed a bunch of offspring to follow the proud family line. I can’t, I can’t I can’t…”

Angry tears running down Regina’s cheek, why was it so damn important that her mother that she meet someone within their circles? Oh why did she have to send Daniel, the stable boy away, two years prior?

He was only three years older; it was not like she would bed him or kiss him even, but he was her best friend in the world. Then there was Robin, a boy from her class. He had come around too much and her mother found them kissing, of course he wasn’t good enough and so her mother forbade her to see him.

What her mother didn’t know was that she had only kissed him to see if there was any attraction there at all, if the kiss made her feel something towards the man that claimed he loved her so. She didn’t though, she felt nothing and she knew the whole thing ruined everything for their friendship. He wouldn’t even look at her anymore.

Fuck it! Fuck this upper-class shit, she hated it with all her being. Sure it was nice to be rich, but she felt like she was a bird in a cage and she just couldn’t stand it. She wasn’t even allowed to see her friends anymore, because her mother was convinced it was their fault she was with boys like Robin and Daniel. It was for her own good, to reach her best potential. Her and Zelena’s suitors. Regina priced herself lucky that their mother didn’t know her sister was seeing someone, but they were discreet about it. Cora would surely kill her if she knew. She sighed as she whispered, “A couple more days then I am leaving this place.”

Leaving this place, could that be right? Emma felt confused, surely that wouldn’t be where she was there, to help her leave. Still she watched the young girl doing what seemed like homework, before hiding the journal, then she left the room, most likely to help out. Emma left the room, only to move outside the building, seeing it was quite an estate, seemingly with nearby stables. She smiled as she walked down to look at the animals, before walking back up seeing that people were starting to arrive so she made herself appear in Regina’s bedroom.

She saw the young girl and her mother, and just watched, maybe her task had something to do with their relationship. Maybe that was she was there to fix.

“I just don’t see why I have to tag along to this, be passed around like I was one of your daddy’s horses. Maybe if it was the last century, but this is a modern time, I should be able to choose my partner out of love, not wealth,” Regina spoke.

“What do you even know about love, Regina? You are only eighteen, your head is always in the clouds. I really think it is better that we pick a suitor for you,” Cora spoke calmly.

“I know you never truly loved father, and your marriage is not as happy as you want it to appear. I know that I want to marry someone that makes my insides rush, not being with them makes me feel lost. I want someone that understands me, that when I look into their eyes it feels like home. And I don’t want to go to this party, or for you to set me up with someone like Nicholas or Logan,” she finished.

“I advice you not to speak so badly about the marriage between your father and I, as you do not know everything. As for the love you talk about, it only exists in books and movies, and there was nothing wrong with Nicholas or Logan,” her mother spoke.

“Except for the fact that they are upper-class jerks,” she rolled her dark eyes.

“Well not all men are like that, just look at your father,” her mother pointed out, as Regina’s father was a kind and wise man. He would not speak ill of anyone, unless it was rightfully deserved and he did not pass as much judgement towards other classes as she might have wished.

“He is one in a million, besides if Zelena can be with someone of her choosing, and my friends can, so will I!” said Regina in a stubborn tone without thinking.

“Zelena is doing what?” Cora’s eyes shone with surprise. She had expected Regina to date behind her back, but Zelena, she was older and should be wiser.

“Never matter, I just wish you would listen to me,” Regina said, it was a sound of sadness in her voice.

“I am, you have almost gotten everything a girl can ask for, still you can’t do this one little thing for me, Regina. You are father and I are simply trying to procure your future,” she said, starting to get feed up. Normally her daughter would have caved by now. Still she was standing her ground, the older woman didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.

“All but my freedom,” Regina answered.

“You are stopping this nonsense right now, or I shall forbid you to see Guinevere for quite some time,” said Cora in a firm tone, knowing how much her daughter loved her horse.

“Screw you mother !!!” Regina spoke. It was the first time she dared to say something like that to her mother. Of course, she said it behind her back to her friends, but never right through her face. She knew it was a bad idea, but right now she couldn’t care less.

The middle-aged woman let her hand rise to slap her across the cheek, before even thinking. Coldly she said, “You got thirty minutes to get dressed and be downstairs or I swear you will regret it.”

With that she left the room, and by the sound of it walked down the hallway. Emma felt her heart break for this young woman, the red mark clearly visible and it had to hurt. Still this girl just started to get dressed, slipping into a purple gown, before sitting down on her bed allowing her tears to fall.

Emma sat down next to her, lifting her hand gently stroking it against the mark, hoping the brunette would feel it somehow. She looked at her with worried eyes.

Regina startled by the sudden cold on her cheek, it felt good against the burning sensation in her cheek. Soothing, making her let out a sigh of relief and close her eyes resting. She didn’t care that is no explanation for her sudden coolness, or that she suddenly felt safer than she had in ages.

Emma watched her completely mesmerized, she was so beautiful this person, it was like she had this raw, untamed nature mixed with innocence. She had to have a pure heart she knew, unlike many of the persons she had helped in her lifetime as an angel. She could tell she somehow knew about her presence, and that she didn’t mind, making the angel relax with her. She lay on her side, watching over her, smiling. Time and space seemed to vanish, it was just her and her person. And for the first time in her angel life Emma didn’t want to change her person, she wanted to protect Regina for the rest of her life. This, her, right now, felt like home. She wished she could appear for her right then, but it was too soon. The next day would be the day she knew.

A knock on the door startled them both. Regina didn’t rise though, the person on the other side of the door didn’t go away either. Emma heard a deep sigh and a male voice say, “Regina, sweetheart, will you please come down and greet our guests. We are not saying you have to get married today.”

“Give me some time, I need to fix my hair, then I will be down,” she said in and emotionless tone.

“I will talk to your mother, alright,” he tried.

“Doesn’t matter,” she responded tiredly, it was not like her mother would change her mind in this lifetime.

Emma heard the footsteps on the other side of the door, and looked at Regina that was clearly struggling internally. She removed her hand from her cheek and placed it on top of hers. The brunette startled, turning her face so she was looking right at her, saying, “Thank you.”

Emma felt weak to the inside due to it, wondering why she did as she usually didn’t feel like her humans did. Of course, she could feel the basic things like, sadness, happiness, anger and so on, but not what Regina described earlier love. Or not to those extents, so this feeling surprised her indeed. She watched as Regina got off the bed to and walked over to her vanity to put her hair up, then removed herself to the place where there was no time. It was what the guardian angels called it, as it was not exactly like heaven, or earth, but where they retreated when their humans didn’t need them, or they needed to withdraw and think. Every angel had his or her space. The blonde angel stayed for a while, when she made herself appear in house again, she was downstairs, inside what she considered to be a ballroom or something like it filled with people. Her eyes on her person, she was talking to a couple of girls her age, Emma assumed her friends. The brunette seemed happy, until a male person came over asking her for something.

Regina withdrew from the group, only to walk away talking with him, polite from what Emma could see from how they interacted. She could tell he said something wrong though as she suddenly hurried out of the room. Emma followed suit seeing she ran into a room marked WC, she knew the humans went there to relieve themselves. She had done it from time to time herself in her human form. She waited outside the door though, feeling her insides break hearing how the young woman threw up and gasped for air. She could even hear her whisper, “I can’t do this anymore, lord, send me someone to help me out of this misery. I am tired, I need someone, anyone to give me strength, someone to hold on to. Send me one of your best angels, someone, anyone, please hurry.”

* * *

The angel took a deep breath before leaving her behind going to the timeless place once more. She wandered there for what felt like forever, then again angel time, and human time was very different. Right now, her mind was running, trying to make sense of it all. Was that why God had sent her to Regina, to be that person to help her out of it, or was she to help her find that person? Once she returned, it was early morning she knew, as it was a bit chilly in the air. She was not in the big house like the day before, but the stables. She was in her human form this time, wearing riding boots, riding pants, and a regular T-shirt. So this time she was supposed to be a stable person of some kind. She groaned as she wondered, how the hell she was going to get close to Regina this way.

Just then, Regina’s mother appeared in the doorway, eyeing her as she was a bug she would like to crush. The blonde didn’t care as the older woman came closer saying, “So you are the new stable girl?”

“Yes, Ma’am, Emma Swan at your service,” she said, it was the first name she could think of.

“You look a little skinny, are you sure you are strong enough for this job?” Cora said, she seemed skeptical. After all it was the first time, she hired a woman for such a job. The young woman however came highly recommended so she figured she would have to do. She had already fired two young men that had came too close to her oldest daughter. Surely a woman wouldn’t be a problem like that.

“Looks can be deceiving,” Emma shrugged. It was not the first time she was placed in a situation where she had to be a around big animals like this.

“I suppose that is right, if you follow me, I will show you around I will show you what your main responsibilities are, in addition to taking care of our eight horses of course. Your main responsibilities will be centered around Guinevere, the horse of my youngest daughter, Green Arrow, the one of my oldest daughter, my own Heart’s Queen and my husband’s horse, Prince Julian. We have four more that is under your care, but those are mostly used by professional riders.”

“You don’t ride, Ma’am?” Emma dared to ask, as they passed the horses.

“Not as often as I used to, it was never really my thing. I take mine out every once in a while, but that is about it. However, the horses keep my family happy and so I don’t mind them. Minding me, my youngest daughter, Regina is not allowed to be in the stables for some time, if she shows up, let me know at once,” said she in a stern tone.

* * *

Emma soon learned the ropes, and she got to know the horses and the stable master August during the next couple of days. She had started on a Monday and it was when she was to look after the horses Wednesday night that she heard a voice from Guinevere’s box, Regina’s voice and she felt a sensation of relief. She had saddled the horses for her sister Zelena and their father the day before. Still she couldn’t help to wonder how long it would take the young brunette to sneak down to see her pet.

She could hear the young woman say, “We are leaving tonight, Vere, I can’t stay here, for every day I feel more and more sad and lost. It is like I can’t even think straight anymore. I don’t care if leaving makes me flunk out of school, she is killing me day by day, her words, her rules. I need to get away.”

The horse neighed as Emma appeared saying, “Ma’am, I don’t think running would be the best idea.”

“And who are you?” Regina asked, not bothering to turn her head even.

“Emma Swan, the new stable girl,” Emma said, looking at the young girl with concern.

“I see, and I suppose you are told by mother to let her know if I come here,” said she with a sigh.

“I am, so if you ran, I would have to tell her, but there is a way around it,” said Emma with a small smile.

“Oh?” Regina said, wondering what she was thinking. Not to mention how she planned or even dared to go around her mother.

“She only told me to tell her if you came here, not if say I were to exercise your horse in the nearby forest. If we randomly met, I am not obligated to tell her I believe,” Emma said, knowing that was a lie, but she didn’t care. She just wanted the girl to be happy, to feel free for a change.

“You are a sly one, aren’t you, I will be in the forest in an hour, please don’t be late,” Regina said, casting a glance at the blonde before leaving the premises.

* * *

For the next week they meet in the forest, Emma handed her the horse, Regina took her for a ride and then gave her back. On the seventh day, upon the descending her horse, the brunette asked, “Why are you doing this for me, deliberating disobeying my mother, she have gotten people fired for less.”

“I can imagine that is so. Still I want you to be happy, if only for a second, as I doubt what you did is deserving of the punishment,” Emma spoke, gently stroking the neck of the horse.

“I disobeyed her rules. You see the night of this party I told her I didn’t want to go, that I wanted to choose a partner for love, not due to his class. They drag me from party to party to find one you know, only there is two things they don’t think about; one that I don’t care about classes! I don’t care if the one I fall for is right or poor as long as they make me happy, I could as easily live in a cabin in the woods or on the streets as a castle. And two, I am gay, meaning I only like girls. I never been attracted to a man once, which is why it was a shame mom fired the other two stable boys because she thought we were to close. Maybe the two of them thought so to but for med it was never the case at all. I almost made out with one of our kitchen staff though, or tried to, but found she was with someone from town, a guy, they are engaged now,” Regina said thoughtfully.

“So, you are telling me in this world a woman can be with another woman?” Emma asked confused, biting her tongue for phrasing herself so poorly. She quickly added, “Where I come from it was always a woman and a man that is why I ask.”

“Well here, it is I suppose be with the one you love, no matter gender, but not every parent is as understanding. I suppose marrying a man would be easier for all of us. I just couldn’t love him the right way and so it all would be a lie and I am not sure I could live with that,” Regina said thoughtfully.

“It is a shame though, because you would think that if your child is happy it shouldn’t matter who they are with, rich, poor, man, woman, or if it was a pet that made them happy. By pet I don’t mean in a sexual way, that is just messed up,” the blonde clarified.

“I completely agree!” Regina exclaimed, looking at her. It was like the blonde’s long hair was glowing in the sunlight, bouncing off on it, making her seem more beautiful, even if her outfit wasn’t much.

“What?” Emma asked, tilting her head, looking at her.

“Nothing, just looked like your hair was glowing in the sun, more than I have ever seen on anyone before,” said Regina with a soft smile.

“Well your eyes sparkle like flames so…” Emma shrugged, knowing her hair tended to do that when she was excited. One of her bad angel habits she was told. At least she didn’t flutter of the ground like some other angels she knew of.

“I wish they sometimes could shoot fire, that way I could fight back against mother. However, she will always be the strongest,” said Regina with a sigh.

“Not necessary, you are only as strong as your weakest link, but the question is if it is worth it if you used that against her,” Emma said wisely.

“I suppose so is true,” the brunette nodded, looking at the watch on her wrist, cursing, before adding, “I gotto go, I see you later.”

* * *

Emma nodded seeing the brunette running away towards the estate, wondering why she was in such a hurry. It was a Saturday after all and so to her knowledge there was no big parties or anything was scheduled, still the blonde knew she needed to know. She rode the horse back to the stable and put her back after grooming her and giving her a treat. Soon she managed to sneak into the house due to an open window, leaving her in what could only be an office of some kind. She looked around wooden shelves with law books, and journals of some kind, leather bound. It could easily business ones she figured, after all the family had made a fortune of breeding and selling horses for some time, in addition to their apple cider business. It could easily be a client list, and even thought she knew she should never open one of them, still she needed to know. She took one out, one of the first she assumed, seeing it was business transactions. She sighed as she heard footsteps coming towards the office, and looked for a place to hide, maybe if she hit behind the curtains or under the desk. Both to risky she concluded panicking. She considered turning herself invisible, but her panicking kept her from it. Why, oh why did she climb into this house?

She took a deep breath and looked around one final time, seeing a closet in one of the corners. The blonde angel quickly hid in it, as the door opened, and she heard Cora’s voice, “Henry, dear, did you look at some of the transactions? One of the books are on the table, I can’t really remember taking it out?”

“No, maybe Zelena did, trying to learn something about the way we run things. I did encourage her to try to take an interest in this,” he answered.

“Oh well, not harm done, please come inside, Leo,” Emma heard her say.

She heard more footsteps and the door closing behind them, before Cora spoke, “You said you wanted to marry Regina, and your offer is good…”

“You are worried because I already have a daughter?” she heard a male voice say with a heavy sigh. His voice didn’t sound all that young. Surely, they couldn’t do this to Regina, it was just wrong.

“Yes, I understand that the mother died during childbirth, and you are much older than our daughter. So why the certain interest?” Cora wondered.

“I always found her attractive, besides I am not getting to be any younger and neither is she. I would like a young and attractive wife, one that is smart and resilient, one I can control. She is that person I believe,” said he without much emotion.

“I see, I think we can agree on a price or something,” said Cora calmly.

Emma could feel her blood boiling, she struggled not to jump out of the closet and tell them a piece of her mind. She could hear Ingrid above warn, “Careful Emma, don’t do anything rational, it will not help the situation.”

“I have to, they cannot do this to her, she is right she is nothing but a price mare,” said Emma, hearing them talking for a while longer before leaving the office. So, this was why Regina had to leave so suddenly, to meet her potential future husband. The question was did she know? The blonde hurried out of the office, hearing Regina laughing from one of the rooms, she didn’t care if she interrupted something, she needed to get her out of there no matter the cost. She was there to protect her after all. So she did the most logical thing she could think of, burst into her room.

Regina that was on the phone with her friend Belle looked confused at the flustered stable girl. She told her friend she would call her back saying, “You are aware you shouldn’t be here.”

“I know, but your parents, they signed a deal, with a man and you are to marry him, I needed to warn you,” Emma said, out of breath.

“Are you sure about this?” the brunette asked, looking at her with wide eyes.

“Yes, I hid in the closet in the office, it is a long story, just trust me alright,” said Emma, offering her hand. Regina nodded taking it, and together they ran to the office climbing out the same way Emma came in. The blonde hurried back to the stable along with Regina saying, “Who is the fastest horse?”

“Son of Zeus, dad’s,” she answered. Emma quickly saddled him up saying, “Ride through the forest, and wait there, alright? If they think they lost you that may change their mind. I will come tonight with food and water. Just go before they notice you are gone.”

Regina took her riding helmet and did as asked, mostly because she didn’t want to marry Leo, she really couldn’t stand the man. Mostly because he was like her mother, liked to control everything. To have a cover Emma saddled up Zelena’s horse so it would seem she had just been out. That way she wouldn’t have been at the stables when Regina took the horse. August the stable master, came out asking, “What is going on?”

“She wanted to marry him off, I just couldn’t…” Emma managed to get out, tears stinging in her eyes now.

“Shh, easy, it will be okay, just trust me, alright,” he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

“I don’t see how it ever can be,” she whispered, hiding her face in Green Arrow’s neck. She didn’t even know why she was so affected by this. Why she had to stop it or even why she was feeling so utterly confused?

Right then Cora came into the tables, her heels clicking hard against the floor as she said, “Have Regina been here today?”

“No as I have seen, Ma’am. What is the matter?” August asked polite.

“We can’t find her anywhere, and we wanted to introduce her for her future husband,” said Cora in a stern voice, looking at the sobbing Emma, “What is with her?”

“She got bad news from home; her grandmother passed away this morning. Regina's future husband, if she knew I cannot blame her from running away. Why can’t you just listen to her Cora, her and Zelena, leave them be. Just because you were forced to marriage to survive due to a bad situation, doesn’t mean you should force them to. You earn much more from letting them learning from their own mistakes, and coming to you of their own free will. Having to apply to your standards and backing away, will only make them recent you,” said August in a firm tone.

“The really hate me, don’t they?” she said with a heavy sigh.

“Hate is such a strong word,” he shrugged, not wanting to say she was right.

“Did she take a horse?” she wondered, looking at them.

“Your husband, but I don’t know where she went,” he admitted.

“I do, please sadly up my horse,” she said, looking at him.

He didn’t object, just went to do it, as Cora was left with Emma, she looked at the blonde saying, “I am not really a cruel woman you know. Or at least I didn’t used to be, but when you are forced to grow up too soon that is sometimes what happens.”

“I never claimed you were, Ma’am,” Emma said, daring to look at her, with still teary eyes.

“Just like you would never have claimed to help my daughter against my wishes? I may be old, but I am not stupid, Miss. Swan,” she said with a sigh.

“Feel free to punish me if you wish, I don’t care,” Emma said with a shrug.

“No, not this time, you get one free pass, but that is all,” she said as August came back with her horse, Queen Penelope. She soon rode off.

Emma looked at August saying, “She married against her will, or because she had to?”

“That is not a story for me to tell, and so I shall not tell it,” he said with a sad smile.

It was only then Emma thought of something, she had seen some pictures in the office. Regina’s sister had much redder hair than the rest of the family, or more in a lighter shade. Could it be that Cora had gotten pregnant and therefore had to marry Regina’s father? If he wasn’t the father, why would he even agree to that? She didn’t know why, but she needed to find out. Maybe if she figured that out, she could reason with her somehow, making life easier for Regina. Regina, terror struck as she had no idea what that woman would do to her. She took Green Arrow and followed in the direction that the middle-aged woman had taken. She soon saw her stopping her horse near a clearing. Emma stayed out of view, hiding her horse as she walked closer, seeing Cora sit down next to Regina.

Cora sighed heavily, “He isn’t a bad man, Regina, just older, that is all.”

“I know, mother, but the thing is he is as old as you and father, I don’t want my first time to be with someone like that, please if you must marry me off, pick someone younger,” she said, looking straight at her mother.  
“You really don’t want this do you?” she said, looking at her.

“No, I mean I get why you and daddy would want to, to procure my future and all, and that your marriage works, that happiness and so is a rare thing. Still some of out staff members are married and happier than I have ever seen you and daddy. I am not saying I am going to marry the staff of course, really the ones are my age isn’t exactly my type. All I am asking is some leniency, if that is only a possibility. Like if I can’t pick myself, pick among your candidates, someone I can live with?” Regina said, sighing heavily also.

Cora nodded thinking for a second, before asking, “Is there any of the so-called candidates you found tolerable up to now, so I have something to go after?”

“I didn’t mind lord Kristoff and Count Augustus all too much, but I know they are both married now,” she shrugged. If she had to pick any of her suitor that she had meet over the years, those had to be the ones.

“Yes, that is a shame, but I am sure I can find someone to spark your interest,” said her mother optimistic.

Regina nodded quietly, asking, “Would you mind if I stayed behind here for a little while, I just need to clear my head.”

“Just don’t be late for dinner,” her mother said as she got back up on the horse riding away. Emma got out from the view and rode over to Regina asking, “You want to talk about it?”

“Maybe it wouldn’t be all bad to marry I man, I mean some of them are decent, and I could just…” she shook her head, looking away. Then she looked at Emma, sitting on her sister’s white mere. The sun was playing tricks on her again she knew, as both the blonde and the horse seemed to light up while she looked at her. It was almost like they had a glow around them. She was sure if angels did exist, that was how they would look, but surely that was just stories. Besides she couldn’t let herself fall for this woman she knew, because then she could be sent away also, and that just wasn’t right.

“Regina, please don’t think like that, you would only go from one prison to another. Not a real one of course, still no matter how hard you convince yourself; you could never be happy. I have seen many couples, and people in my life, being poor I tend to work myself from place to place. I know that wealth doesn’t procure happiness, that some people that marry the wrong person sleep around, that a marriage doesn’t always last, that innocent people die. But I have also seen happiness and it is so much of it, even in the darkest of times, within the must broken souls. I think you are deserving of that, so why not try to find the woman you are meant to be with, and convince your mother that it is the right choice. Battle her if you must, break away from the norm, bend the rules. It will be worth it, after all love is the most powerful form of magic. I know it is hard, but don’t let her break you and surrender because it is out there, someone that is meant to be yours,” Emma spoke, she felt a string almost breaking insister. It was because she knew that her task most likely was to help Regina to find this person, and when she did, she was most likely had to leave her behind and she didn’t want to do that. She for whatever reason wanted this brunette sitting on a dead tree trunk in front of her, no matter how wrong that was. Because she was a guardian and her angel and it was not logical for her to feel this way or that she should feel it in the first place.

“But what if I am wrong? What if this is just a phase I go through you know, before I meet the one that is the right man?” Regina wondered, knowing deep down it was not.

“I don’t know, who am I to speak of such love and happiness I have only seen, but never really felt,” the angel answered, looking away.

“You haven’t felt it, being in love, you can hardly be much older than I am,” said Regina, looking at the stable girl in confusion.

“I don’t know how old I am, I do not remember how I came to be, I am only here to try to help people the best way possible, and then move on,” she said with a heavy sigh.

“So you are like a foster child with no papers trying to make it and find your place,” Regina concluded thoughtfully. Still the girl spoke with such wisdom beyond her years.

Emma didn’t confirm or deny as Regina said, “Can you come down from the horse, please?”

The blonde angel shrugged but obliged to this. She got off the horse and stood looking at Regina. The brunette walked closer to her, looking at her up and down, the blonde was at the moment wearing black riding pants, black riding boots, helmet and a white singlet with the word help and a picture of the Beatles on. Her red riding jacket was strapped on to her saddle along with a cap with a winged horse on, nothing unusual about that, she knew most of the riders she knew had similar logo on shirts and other riding wear. Nothing to really show where she was really from. Her answers being cryptic also. Regina shook her head, she couldn’t make heads or tails of her yet and asked, “How long have you been riding for?”

The blonde pondered about it before she answered, “For some years, have been working with horses before I came here, I really like them.”

“So I take you know how to do jumps and dressage?” Regina challenged.

“Yes I do, I do pretty much anything or I wouldn’t have applied for the job here, why?” Emma said, looking at her.

“I challenge you to a jumping contest when we get back,” said Regina with a confident smile.

“I can do that, but it can’t take too long as I need to take care of some of the other horses also,” the blonde pointed out.

“If that is so, we should make haste, race you back to the stables,” said Regina, getting back on the horse.

“Of course,” Emma said with a smile, getting back up on Green Arrow, kicking her sides, making Regina yell after her, “Cheater, I wasn’t ready.”

“You better keep up if you are going to beat me, Princess,” said Emma with a heartfelt laughter. She rode back with ease, making it to the stables some moments before Regina and quickly sat up some obstacles they could jump over. Putting them at a reasonable high so they had a starting point.

* * *

Zelena that had come by the stables sometimes later for her horse, got surprised to hear Emma was using her horse for jumps. It was not that she didn’t do so herself, she was just more of a dressage person and she planned to compete with her the following weekend. She walked over to the paddock and saw the two of them heightening the obstacles, taking her phone out of her pocket and calling her mother, saying, “Get down to paddock one there is something you should see, bring daddy as well.”

It didn’t take her parents long to get down there as both were at the estate. The redhead nodded towards her younger sister debating one of obstacles with Emma, before getting on the horse. Emma did the same, riding over to her, seemingly giving her some instructions. Cora looked at her husband mortified saying, “She never had them that high, she can be thrown off, Henry do something!”

“Easy, I am sure Emma has it under control or I doubt that she would have agreed to it,” he said calmly, feeling a bit worried himself. He knew his youngest daughter to be a fairly good jumper, still he had not seen her jump over obstacles this high.

“I swear if this goes wrong, you will never hear the end of it,” said she in sharp tone.

“She managed the previous high without much trouble, I mean Guinevere did have some doubts about the wall, but that was about it,” Zelena said, she was a clearly impressed by it.

The three watched as Regina, then Emma do the jumps with ease. Then Regina rode over to Emma seemingly excited by managing, asking her something, but the blonde shook her head, gesturing towards the stables, telling her something, the brunette seemed to agree. Regina got of the horse and took her own and Zelena’s back to the stables, as Emma quickly removed the obstacles, before walking in the same direction. Cora contemplated before she walked back up to the house, dragging her husband with her. Zelena on the other hand walked to the stables, finding Emma, brushing her horse saying, “I don’t mind you use her for high jumps, just wait to after the weekend, I have to practice my dressage routine.”

“Yes, Ma’am, I am sorry if I overstepped the boundaries, I was told to take care of her,” Emma said as her face turned into a shade of crimson.

“You are good, and be careful when it comes to Regina, She doesn’t know when to stop, and it can cause more damage than needed, in the worst your job,” she said with a sigh, taking her horse back out of the box, telling Green Arrow what a good girl she was.

* * *

Emma sighed as she continued with her tasks, wondering what to make of this family, they sure to be very opinionated by the youngest daughter of the household. She couldn’t even blame Regina for wanting to live her own life and breaking free, still she knew where to draw the limit, at least when it came to the high jumps. The blonde sighed as she went to take care of the horses. After helping August muck the stables, having dinner with him and the rest of the staff, they feed the horses and made sure they had enough water before nightfall. Emma went to check upon the eight horses that was her main responsibility when she heard voices coming from a deserted box. It had stood empty for a couple of hours as the horse that used to have it had now been sold or rather given to Leopold to pay for the damage done on Regina reclining on his offer. Emma knew her Cora wasn’t happy about it, as it was a price steed and she planned to sell him for a good price. She even had a buyer for him, and now she had to have the buyer pick another horse for a lower price as he didn’t get what was promised. The blonde couldn’t help but to wonder how this would impact the brunette. She was considering sneaking back in the house, but found it better not to when she heard the voices coming from the box. She recognized one as Regina’s older sister.

“I just get why you are agreeing to this, Lena, there has to be another way, you simply cannot marry him, you don’t love him and you will be miserable,” the other female said.

“And you know as the oldest, I am left with no choice when Regina is being as stubborn as she is. I need to be able to procure an heir to take over the business when I am gone, and since Regina won’t marry Leopold, I guess I will have to do. I mean he is not a bad man, and I begged mother to talk to him about it. Maybe he will show a bit of mercy towards mother and father in the future if I do this,” she said. Emma’s eyes widened, surely this couldn’t be true.

“But there are other ways to procure and heir these days, you wouldn’t have to sleep with him, you could marry someone else, be happy. You could marry me, Lena, I know can make you happy. I have done so for the past five months haven’t I?” said the other woman.

“Of course you have my pet, these months have been some of the happiest in my life, and now they have to come to an end. You knew this from the start. If Leopold says no, I am going to ask if mother can set it up with Lord Brightfire. I can’t live here like this anymore, under this roof, it is toxic,” said Lena in a serious tone.

“I don’t get you, Lena, one day you want to run away with me, the next you want to marry someone you don’t even love. And for what, money, an heir, a life you never wanted!” frustration in her voice now.

“Well it is the best for all involved, besides you know as well as I do there is no way my parents would ever let me marry you, you are considered to be the town whore,” said Lena. Emma could hear her voice was shivering. The blonde angel knew the redhead was on the bridge of crying.

“You know what marry whoever, but don’t come crawling to me when it all goes to hell! We could had it all, Lena and you know it! You are just to scared to break the chains. As for a whore you know it isn’t true, I haven’t been with anyone but you, and you know how many I was actually with before it! If anyone is a whore it is you, as you are willing to sell yourself for money, which is something I would never do, I have too much self-respect for it,” the other woman yelled in anger and walked out by the sounds of her footsteps. Emma could hear Zelena crying ever so sadly in the empty box, knowing only two things she regretted her words and that she really loved this woman whoever she was.

* * *

For the next couple of weeks Emma got used to be quiet and just saddle up the horses for Zelena and her new companion, she assumed him to be the lord she had been talking about. She could easily tell the young woman was putting up an act whenever they were together though. He however didn’t seem to see it or he chose not to. She also saddled up the horses for Regina and a young man named Lance, they seemed to have a lot in common, and spite the fact he was rich like Regina, he seemed kind-hearted and genuinely interested in her. Emma couldn’t deny that they did make a handsome couple. After all, if Regina was to end up with him, he wasn’t the worst person in the world. She even spoken to him a couple of times, he was not the kind of guy who was too big to talk to the servants.

It was a sunny Friday that he and Regina came back from a ride that he smiled at Emma saying, “Emma, are you busy tonight?”

“Other than with the horses, no, why?” she wondered curiously.

“We are going to this party downtown, a new club of some sort, maybe you would like to join us,” he said and smiled at her.

“I probably should not, servant shouldn’t mingle with their masters,” she said with a sigh.

“I never say it as we were two separate branches, just people. Besides we can always meet you there, I think it will be fun,” he encouraged her.

“Alright what is the name of the place and the time I should be there,” she asked polite, it was Friday so she planned to go down to one of the pubs in any case.

“It is called Up Higher it is next to The Howling Wolf, if you know your way around and at 9 pm,” he said and smiled at her.

“Alright I will be there,” said Emma and smiled back, before taking his horse. Never really been having been asked to come with someone to a club she felt a bit excited about it. Of course she had been to the occasional bar scene here and there during her time helping people, but never a club. It was not like she took time off from her main duty or made many friends other than the person she was guardian for and therefore had no reason to go out. Still she had always wanted to go and decided to make the most of it.

* * *

That night the blonde tried to find something to wear in the clothes she was assigned to in this place. She ended up with light blue denim jeans, a black singlet with a lightning bold on and a black leather jacket with flowy fringes. She let her long blonde hair hang loose for a change, and put on a pair of high heels, before going to her car to drive downtown. She parked it near the club and walked the rest of the way, seeing Regina standing outside wearing a dress, that was blue with white polka dots all over, it reached to her knees and had broad straps. Lance was wearing blue Bermuda shorts and a T with picture of a band on. Emma took them in, feeling her heart sink. Why did she have to be so perfect, her olive skin a shade darker due to the summer sun having tanned it. The dress showing off her curves, making the blonde swallow. Still she pushed her emotions aside as she walked over saying, “Hey.”

“Hey Emma, I am so glad you made it, let us go inside,” Lance said, beaming at her.

The blonde shrugged, but followed them inside the crowded place towards the bar, the blonde exchanging some words with the bartender that gave her a beer. The blonde took a sip and looked at Lance ordering something for Regina and himself. They got their drinks, and he took a sip of his drink and nodded, before whispering something into her ear, just as some guys came over and gave him some friendly pat on the back. He introduced them as David, Arthur and Archie, some of his study buddies. The blonde smiled and shook their hands, before they found a table on the side to the crowded floor, casually trying to talk. She learned the Archie was taking psychology as a major, Arthur was in on a football scholarship and David was studying laws and politics, he had some of the classes with Regina’s sister, Lena. Emma listened to them talk about them growing up and being a gang of four, that Archie used to get picked on, but the other three always came to his defense. She nodded and came with a comment now and again, before going over to the bar for another beer. She was about to go back when a female voice said, “Wow, haven’t seen you around, you must be new?”

“I am,” the blonde nodded, looking into a pair of brown eyes, the woman speaking had to be round her age.

“Can I buy you next round?” the brunette asked, clearly, she was interested in her.

“I don’t see why not,” Emma shrugged. After all Regina was clearly taken by Lance, so she had no reason to decline on the offer.

“Cool, I am Ivy by the way?” she said, extending her hand.

“Emma,” said Emma, shaking it gently.

“So are you here alone or?” the brunette asked curiously.

“I came with them, but I am not with any of them,” Emma said nodding towards the group.

“I see, so you go to school with them then?” she wondered, looking at her.

“No, I work for the Mills’, stable girl,” she said, feeling a bit shameful about it.

“Stable girl, you say, you must be a fine rider,” said Ivy, wetting her lips.

“I am without a doubt the best,” Emma said with a confident smile.

Regina was watching Emma talking to the brunette across the room, feeling anger grow inside her. How dared Ivy Maine make a pass at Emma, not to mention what could Emma possible see in her, that witch! They weren’t going home together, were they?

No, the blonde couldn’t do that. Still if she did who was she to object, after all the blonde was free to be with anyone she pleased, and she shouldn’t even be affected by it, so why was she? Why was the blood suddenly rushing like the veins like this, why did she suddenly feel the urge to curse Ivy for putting a hand on Emma’s arm, making her laugh?

Fuck her, fuck this, there was no way she was going home with Ivy! She couldn’t let that happen, knowing about the older girl’s reputation. She saw the blonde leaning closer, whisper something in her ear, making Ivy gasp, then ask something. Emma excused herself it seemed, vanishing towards where the bathrooms were by the looks of it, and Regina quickly followed suit. Once inside she saw the blonde checking her makeup, even if it was modest. With a pounding heart Regina asked, “So you are going home with her or brining her with you home?”

“If I am why do you care? You got Lance, right?” Emma pointed out. They had hardly talked the last couple of weeks due to the brunette had been seemingly into her new beau.

“No, it is a cover to please our parents, Lance is with David, have been a couple for some time. Please don’t go home with her, Emma,” her heart was sinking now.

“Only if you can give me one good reason why I should not,” Emma challenged the brunette.

“I…can’t,” Regina sighed defeated, knowing all too well that the reason she had stayed away from Emma lately was that she was feeling drawn to her, it scared her.

“Well then…” Emma said, putting her lipstick back in her purse, closing it. She was about to leave when Regina grabbed her arm, twirling her around, and pressed her lips hard against Emma’s. Emma’s eyes widened, as she got taken by surprise, seeing the door open she broke free fast and vanished out the door. Tears in Regina’s eyes, fearing she fucked everything up.

Emma was on her way back to the bar, when she heard a familiar voice and turned to looked at a brunette with red stripes in her hair. She was talking to another woman, and Emma knew she could recognize that voice anywhere, it was the woman Lena had talked to in the stables sometime back. She grasped her arm pulling her outside of the club so she could talk to her. The brunette looked at her in shock saying, “What the heck did you do that for! Get in line if you want to spend the night with me, will you!”

“No, I don’t want that, but please listen, it is about Lena,” Emma took a deep breath.

“Why would I even care, she ended it as far as I am concerned,” said the other woman with a shrug. Still concern clearly showing in her eyes.

“Yes, but not because she didn’t love you. She does, Ruby, that is your name right?” Emma wondered, looking at her.

“It is,” said the brunette.

“Listen I work as the stable girl and that house is all kinds of messed up, I have seen her with her new beau and she isn’t happy, she is faking it. I heard her talk to her horse, she misses you, and she don’t know what to do. I am sure she will do something stupid. Please if you care about her at all, come back with me,” Emma pressed, looking at her.

“No, if she wanted me to do that, she would know where to find me,” said Ruby and walked back in. The blonde cursed, not feeling like going back into the club she just got back out of she walked to the nearby bar instead, wishing she was never placed with this family at all.

* * *

It was early morning when she got woken by August’s voice and groaned, not knowing how she got back home, clearly, she had to be there. She cursed under her breath as he handed her some aspirin saying, “Rough night?”

“You may say that, it was alright at first, then it went straight to hell,” she said, hearing her guidance angel giving her a reprimand for using the word. She knew as an angel she was not forbid to curse, but there were still certain words she should never use. Hell, and damn was a couple of those.

“You want to talk about it?” he asked her calmly.

“No, can I just have the day off, I need to get back there and get my car in any case,” said she with a heavy sigh.

“Alright, but Cora will not like it, she and Henry need their horses ready in not long,” he said calmly.

“Screw Cora, have her saddle the damn horse on her own for once,” Emma snarled, harsher than she meant it to come out. Fuck why did her head have to hurt, her wings hurt as well, did she fly back the night before? Like any other angel she had wings, only when she was her earthly self, they appeared as winged tattoo and she seldom let them appear in any other way even if she could.

“Very subtle, Swan,” she heard Cora’s voice, it was as cold as ice, just like a shiver that ran down her spine. How on earth could she appear so quietly? She cursed inside, getting another reprimanded from the one above her. Right then she wished that she could vanish in thin air and have everyone leave her alone for once.

“I didn’t…mean it like that,” Emma quickly bit her tongue.

“Don’t try to talk yourself out of it, I heard a lot stupider say a lot worse, both to my face and behind my back. The thing is that it is your job to saddle the horses. even if we can do so ourselves. I suggest you get to it,” Cora said, her tone was sharp.

“And if I don’t you will fire me, that is the way it goes if anyone dare defy you, right?” Emma challenged, her mouth talking before her mind thought it through.

“Usually yes, but you are special and I need you to help Regina get ready for the upcoming championship. You are by far the best I have seen when it comes to jumping, however I would be very careful in addressing me in that tone again,” she said in a serious tone.

Emma grumbled something under her breath and went out to saddle the horses, crying into the neck of Cora’s horse, the chestnut mare neighed gently as Emma whispered, “It hurts, Heartie, it really does, you are lucky to not be human.”

The horse neighed again, chewing on some hey. Emma left to saddle Prince Julian as her owner stepped out of the shadow. Cora hugged her gentle whispering, “You are a good, horse, you know that right, be gentle to that creature, she needs it.”

The horse neighed gently, as she took its bridles and led her outside the stable. Once Emma was done saddling Prince Julian so he was ready for Regina’s father, she saddled a horse named Orion’s Pride. She took it outside and gently kicked his sides, riding away from there, she needed space and air, far away from this horrid place.

* * *

It would be close to midnight before she returned and put Orion back in his stable, making sure to tend to him first. She sighed as she went into her room, seeing Henry Senior sitting by the desk in the room waiting. She eyed him saying, “If you are going to lecture me, please do it tomorrow, I am not up for it, Sir.”

“No, my wife told me to check on you. I did a couple of times, then decided to wait to see if you came back. I am to understand you two had an altercation earlier today, she was worried you would not return. Please understand that even if she seems cruel and harsh, she isn’t always, Miss Swan,” he said and looked at her with tired eyes.

“No, she just like to demonstrate she has power, without it she is nothing,” Emma sighed.

“She didn’t have an easy life before we meet, I am not saying it excuses anything, just keep in mind that she is a busy woman and therefore need thing to go smoothly. However I get if you don’t want to work here. I am simply going to ask you one thing, do you like being here?” he said calmly.

“I…do, there is something about this place, even if things that happens here isn’t always good, it feels like home. I don’t even know why but it somehow feels like I am meant to be here,” she said with a heavy sigh.

“Well you know what they say, Swan, home is where the heart is,” he said and gave her a smile.

“I am sorry, Sir, I don’t understand,” Emma said confused.

“My wife and I are not stupid, Emma, we are not blind to how you look at our youngest daughter, or she at you. We have fired two stable helps that got to close to her, and one that got too close to Zelena, but you are different. I know you would never speak of it and go after her; you need this job. You put the horses before your heart, I have seen it, how good you are with them. I respect you for that, I find it admirable even, so much so that if you keep this up I, I mean my wife and I are willing to give you one of our horses free at charge if you keep this up,” he said calmly.

“And your daughter is she one of those horses, Sir as it seems to me like you are selling them off to the highest bidder,” Emma asked calmly.

“No, she is not, and if you had children you would know I would only want what is best for them. I will not ask you not to come near her, as I know she is drawn to you, all I will say is that if she really is the one of your choosing, she is worth more than any of my horses and you better treat her right. You better treat her with the same care if not even put more into it than you do with the horse, am I making myself clear,” he said in a firm tone.

“Yes, Sir, and I will think about the horse for the future,” she said with a nod.

“Good, you should get some rest, as I am taking ten of my horses out tomorrow, it the annual hunting party and it will last from morning to night,” he said.

“I will try, Sir,” she said, feeling her body aching and her belly screaming for food.

“There is some food in the fridge I had some of the kitchen staff fill it earlier, goodnight Miss. Swan,” he said and left her.

Emma went over to the small fridge she had in her room, finding some sandwiches and a salad. She quickly started to eat before setting the alarm. There was no way she would skip another day of work she knew.

* * *

The blonde angel continued her hard work the following months, noticing how summer turned to fall and fall to early winter, even if it wasn’t snowing yet. She didn’t talk to Regina about the kiss at the club and the brunette didn’t bring it up either. She simply continued to saddle horses for her and Lance as they came by. She did the same for Lena and Brightburn, learning his first name saw Zane. She knew him to be crueler than he appeared, still she saw it through. The reason for her thinking ill of him was the fact how Lena had gone from having her head held high and being a woman who didn’t take any crap from anyone while they were together, to hardly opening her mouth.

Emma had also as promised seen Regina through the Championships earlier that year, making sure the brunette won her golden medals. That had caused her to have a closer relationship with both Regina and her horse, even before their kiss in the bathroom occurred.

It was a stormy evening in the beginning of November, she and August had just prepared the horses for the night, including trying to make it comfortable for a horse that was about to foal. She had shown signs earlier that day and now they knew it was almost time. The blonde was very excited about it as she had never been present for a birth yet, knowing that it could go wrong, but also right. She hoped for the latter as she checked in on the mare, stroking her gently, taking to her, telling her what a good girl she was. It was then she heard the door blow open and it spooked the horse. Assuming it was the heavy wind she managed to calm her before she went to check on the other horses that didn’t seem to take much notice of it. She closed the door, but on the way back she noticed Zelena next to Green Arrow, saddling her up. Surely the redhead would not go out in this weather, that would be insane. Emma walked closer asking, “Lena, what are you doing?”

“I am leaving, I mean I have to leave before someone notices I am gone,” she said with a heavy sigh. As she turned to look at Emma, the blonde noticed her black and swollen left eye and her split lip.

“No, not in this weather, you might get killed, come with me to my room, we can talk about it and have August get some ice for that eye,” she said in a firm tone.

“No, Miss. Swan, please don’t stop me. Mom and dad will kill me if they find out, Zane will if I don’t do as he says, and his parents will also kill me if they find out. This is all my fault, she gestured towards her face.

“No matter what you did, you did not deserve that. Someone that raises a hand towards you is not worth your love or respect. Let us go to my room and I will help you, because whatever it is is not worth dying for,” Emma said calmly.

“It is, so if you would be as kind and get out of my way,” Lena said.

“I can, let you do it, those horses are my responsibility and I am not letting any of them out in that weather,” Emma said. She crossed her arms above her chest making a stand that made her look bigger than she actually was.

“Why should I even bother! You are clearly like mother and father that care more about the horses than us, but fine if you won’t let me take a horse I will leave without one,” she said as lightning struck, making a flicker of light shine through the stables. Zelena looked at Emma standing there, in the massive lightning it seemed that her shadow had wings, surely that could not be true. She jumped back in fear, whispering, “Please, don’t hurt me.”

“I would never do that. I don’t harm anyone that doesn’t deserve it, and you don’t,” Emma stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder, making Lena fall apart, crying, shivering, sobbing. The blonde sighed somehow managing to get her into her room, where she sat her down on the bed, saying, “If you can’t talk to me, or won’t I don’t blame you, but is there someone you can talk to, I can call anyone you want?”

The redhead shook her head saying, “No, my friends don’t know, I am not ready for them to know. I really wish I didn’t tell Ruby off, as I know she would have been on my side in this. I suppose there is only you, even if you can’t do much.”

The blonde nodded as a redhead too a deep breath before continuing, “I thought I had it all figured out, marrying Zane, have a kid, take over the family business in time, do the right thing. He seemed so perfect, nice, well dressed, smart and so on when you are around him, but in private he has a temper.

This isn’t the first thing he did something like this, but he stays clear of the face usually, so I try to be careful around him. Not to make him upset or jealous you know, not to get him riled up. Do as he want, even if that isn’t what I want, but mom and dad told me that a relationship is sometimes sacrifices and compromises. Long story short we went all the way, because he wanted to. I didn’t mind it the first couple of times, but recently he has refused to use protection and he does things I find degrading and takes it too far, I don’t want to go into detail. I got used to it and I have always been on the pill, careful and all, but not careful enough. I am…pregnant and he was upset because I didn’t want an abortion and that he for sure wouldn’t let a baby born this soon get in the way of his, our life. That I should have known better, and he is right. I don’t know what to do, only I don’t want an abortion, and I can’t be with him anymore. If he hurts me, what will he do to the little one. I can’t tell my parents as they will be furious, and if his know they would probably be too and… I miss Ruby so very much. She always knew what to do.”

Emma listened without interrupting; it was hard to think that when she started at the stables over three months back this woman had snapped at her so overly confident. She had been like her mother the Queen of her castle, and now she seemed to be reduced to almost nothing. Afraid of her boyfriend, afraid of their parents, so much so that she would risk her own life than to stand up to either. Emma took a deep breath saying, “You have known for a while, haven’t you?”

“I have, I was at the doctor to check yesterday for the first time, I am about twelve weeks. I will soon start showing, or at least that is what she told me,” A gentle smile on her lips, as she added, “I took some tests when the period was late, all were positive, and I delayed going to the doctor thinking maybe it was a false positive, that it was stress it happened before. She asked if I wanted to keep it, it, Emma, it, but I know it is a girl. I don’t know how but I do, and by now she is a small human, her main organs have formed, I just couldn’t bring myself to say no. I still can’t, even though I didn’t plan on this for years to come.”

“I can understand that, and I honestly think your parents will too, I don’t know how old your mother was when she had you, but I pretty sure that was a young age also. She would never ask you to give her up, she will probably ask what you wanted, education wise and so on, but I am sure since you plan to keep her, you have thought about it,” said Emma, smiling at her.

“I have, I wouldn’t even ask for anything from them,” said Lena with a nod.

“I understand, so here is what I think you should do, stay here, rest for the night, try calling Ruby and explain it to her. That you want her back, that you miss her and that you want her to be a part of your future and so on. I am going to go back and check on the mare that see if the foaling is going as it should, to give you some privacy. There is some food and drinks in the fridge if you need it,” said Emma, nodding towards the small fridge in one corner of the room, before getting up from the bed, and walked back out to the stables.

* * *

The blonde angel wasn’t sure for how long she was there before the mere gave birth to her foal, luckily without complications, she smiled at the young stallion slowly rising to his feet with a little help from his mama, saying, “Welcome to the world, Thunder Storm.”

He neighed and looked at her, before going to feed. Emma looked at the mere, gently stroking her as she said, “You did good, Jessie.”

The horse neighed tiredly, seemingly resting where she stood as Emma went to add his name on the box, he would be a strong one when he grew up, she knew. By then the thunder had stopped and the storm had quiet down a little. She started hearing her guidance angel behind her, turning to look at the woman with the long blonde hair and the fair skin like her own saying, “Ingrid, what are you doing here?

“He told me to tell you that you are a great job with these humans, and the animals, he is very proud, spite the fact you have been cursing more than usual. He gets it though, it as human thing,” she said with a small laughter.

“I am sorry, and I haven’t forgotten why I am here, to help Regina, which is hard as I can’t rightly follow her every step of the way being here,” Emma admitted.

“I know, dear, but just have patience, she will come to you soon, I promise,” the older angel said.

“I just have to trust that you are right, but I feel frustrated as I know neither she and Lance could be happy in the marriage, that it is just a cover, and…” she shook her head, looking away.

“What is it, there isn’t a complication that makes you want to leave, as I can find someone else if it is,” Ingrid spoke calmly.

“No, it is not that, I feel strongly for her, I never had that before, and it confuses me, is that something that is usual. It is like I don’t want anything to harm her ever, I want to be there to not see that happen, I don’t want to move on from her, even if I know I have to. I feel…this place feels like home, am I supposed to feel like that. I mean I have been protective of all my persons, you know that, but this is different,”

“I know, Emma, and that doesn’t make you a bad angel or a bad person. You just need to trust your instincts with this. Do you understand?” she asked calmly.

“I do, still I find it confusing,” Emma said with a deep sigh.

“I know, dear and I am here, always, if you need me, but now I do have to go, someone seems to be coming,” said she and vanished as fast as she came. Just in time as the door to the stable opened and Ruby came inside, looking rattled.

Emma looked at the woman that closed the door behind her asking, “Where is she, and where is that bastard that hurt her?”

“The Lord I assume at his place, grumbling the fact she is pregnant and she in my room, I will take your there,” Emma said calmly, showing her the way. Once she had done so she went back to the horses. She didn’t really care if the slept, had makeup sex or whatever in there as long as they fixed things. Instead she settled in next to the foal and his mother, slowly falling asleep.

* * *

The angel didn’t wake until the commotion the next day hearing someone call her name. She sat up with a jolt scaring the foal a bit, whispering, “I am sorry, little one, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

The blonde quickly got out of the box saying, “I am here. What is going on?”

“It would seem that our eldest daughter has vanished during the night, since your room were empty we thought…Never mind you didn’t happen to see her during the night, she didn’t leave a not or anything, and she is not with her friends,” Cora said with a sigh. It was clear that she was worried.

“I did last night, Ma’am, she was upset and wanted to leave, but I wouldn’t let her out in the bad weather, let alone the horses. I offered her my bed and went here, to look after these two, I must have fallen asleep,” she said, gesturing towards the horse.

“You…you let her leave?” Cora’s voice was filled with disbelief.

“Cora, dear, calm yourself. It is not Emma’s fault she ran away, or responsibility for that matter. We both know she has struggled for some time, and we should have talked to her. Miss. Swan, I know you probably won’t tell her why she left, due to not wanting to break her trust. But if you know where she might be that would help,” Henry said calmly.

“I can tell you who she is likely to be with if you promise not to go of the handles. She is in trouble and right now she needs you,” Emma said in a serious tone.

“You have our word,” he said, getting a nod from his wife.

“She is most likely with Ruby Lucas, she works at a bar downtown, I am not rightly sure where she lives, but you can probably ask around,” Emma said, seeing them exchanging look.

Regina that had been silent up to then said, “I think she has an apartment behind her grandmother’s hotel, The Golden Moon, and also she works as a firefighter next to being a bartender.”

“You knew?” Cora said, remembering her youngest daughter’s comment the night of the ball.

“I did, but I assumed she broke it off due to follow your rules and therefore picked Zane over her,” Regina shrugged.

“I see, come on Henry, we should find her,” Cora said, dragging him with her to the car, Regina stood looking at Emma saying, “You are brave to always hold your stand towards mother, you have done it more times the short time you have been here than I have done in my whole life.”

“She isn’t all what she pretends to be, besides I am younger and stronger, I can defend myself,” Emma shrugged.

“Show off,” Regina said, rolling her eyes.

“Princess,” Emma responded doing the same.

“So the foal came during the night and you decided to name him, also a bold move,” said Regina, knowing her parents preferred to do that themselves.

“Perhaps, but they can change it if they want,” Emma said, adding, “I found it fitting due to the weather last night, but it never really scared me. The weather.”

“I don’t mind the storm or rain, but I do mind the thunder because it is so loud, it reminds me of how my grandparents used to fight when they were still alive. Mother and father do fight also, but no to that degree and they find a mutual ground,” she said, without showing much emotion.

“That can’t have been much fun,” said Emma.

“It wasn’t really, grandfather, my father’s dad, he always said children should be seen not heart, if Lena and I made much noise he would punish us. And mother’s dad was a mean drunk so I don’t blame her for being vile from time to time. She never drinks though, other than a glass of apple cider every now and again, but just one glass,” she said.

“The cut on your lip was that your mother’s doing?” Emma asked polite.

“No, I actually was riding my bike to fast when I was younger, fell of head first, a rock cut it,” said she with a sigh.

“I can picture you being a rebellious kid,” Emma said with a heartfelt laughter.

“I was, what about you then, what was your childhood like?” Regina asked, tilting her head looking at her.

“I don’t even remember having one, so I couldn’t tell you even if I wanted to,” she said. She never really asked about if, her life prior to being and angel and that was all she knew.

“You have gone through a lot so it makes it hard to remember all,” Regina concluded.

“Something like that, so how are things with you and Lance, I have seen him around more frequently,” Emma said and smiled vaguely at her.

“They are…okay I suppose, we are getting closer, friend wise. He is mostly with his boyfriend now, why he is here more, so his parents won’t suspect anything. When we ride, we go to where they meet up and I spend time alone whereas they do whatever it is a couple do,” she shrugged.

“That is nice of you,” Emma said, not knowing what else to say to that, even if her heart made a jump.

“I am sorry I kissed you like that, back then… I should have asked first, I just felt we had some chemistry all along since you started. I felt drawn to you, and I couldn’t bare the thought of you with her, because of her reputation. I went over the line, just because I may feel something for you, it doesn’t mean you feel the same,” she finished, knowing it was the hardest thing she ever admit. She cursed herself every night for falling more and more for the blonde every time she went to the stables. Even now that it was colder and the blonde wore more clothes Regina found her attractive in every way.

“You feel something for me?” Emma said, her cheeks burning and a smile appeared on her lips as she said it.

“I do, which is stupid, because my parents wouldn’t allow it I am sure, still there is something about you, something pure, I can’t explain it. I am drawn to you, I want to kiss you and be close to you all the time,” she whispered, flustered with shame, still she needed to get it off her chest.

“I…feel something for you too, which is odd because I never felt like this, drawn to someone like I do to you,” Emma admitted, feeling her punishment would be severe if she dared to go further with this person.

“Can I…kiss you?” Regina asked shyly, not knowing why she asked permission even, as she was used to go for it when she wanted something. Still Emma was different, she didn’t know how but she was.

Emma nodded, making the brunette increase the distance between them, cup her checks and press her lips gently against Emma’s. She tasted soft she realized, and her lips was so soft. A surge went through her as she did this, she was kissing her, she was really kissing her, and she didn’t want it to end.

In the few moments the kiss lasted, Emma felt she was flying higher than ever before, she could even feel prickles of excitement spreading through her hidden wings, she smiled into the kiss as it filled her with such joy she had never before felt. So this was what it felt like the love the persons on this earth talked about she concluded.

“Maybe we should go to your room, more privacy,” Regina urged her, she wanted to kiss the stable girl again, not risking getting seen or interrupted.

“Let me just get the horses out in paddock,” Emma said, kissing her cheek. The brunette nodded as she helped Emma with the task, getting their twenty horses out in the paddocks. Then Emma checked on Jessie and her foal to be sure they had what they needed. Once it was done she led the brunette to her room. Once inside Regina looked around, of all the stable persons that had lived there Emma seemed to be the most modest one. Sure, her clothes and some items of jewelry was that, and a few books, amongst them the holy Bible, other than that nothing. She looked at Emma saying, “You don’t own much, do you?”

“I moved around so much so I figured not having a lot make that less complicated, plus since I can’t remember having a family like you have no pictures, as for my friends I have a few, but we don’t need pictures to remember what we look like,” Emma explained, pointing towards one of the desk drawers, “I have letters from them, that I keep, and the most precious thing I have owned for the last years is my car, and he is parked out back.”

“Possessions are overrated, as long as one has food in the belly and a roof over the head, fresh water and air you have all you can ask for. I know it sounds easy for me to say having most, but I would have been just as lucky living in a shed, maybe even more so,” said Regina, placing her hands on the blonde’s hip, before leaning in to kiss her again.

The angel kissed her back, resting her arms around her neck, wondering something as little as her kiss could make her so very happy, so at ease. She couldn’t even help but let a soft laughter escape her as the kiss broke saying, “I am sorry, I just…you make me feel happy.”

“I am glad, and I hope I will always make you feel that way,” the brunette said, nuzzling lovingly against her cheek, noticing her hair seemed to be shining again, this time it wasn’t the sun as they were inside.

“Always is a very long time, especially when you know the sun will set on our time, and there might not be something after our passing,” Emma said with a heavy sigh. She knew not all humans passed into the Kingdom of the lord, and not all to the kingdom of the Lord downstairs, some were just turned into dirt.

“I know, but one can always hope God turns us into angels and let us stay that way,” said Regina in a soft tone.

“Wouldn’t it get tiresome thought, just moving along helping people, never really getting any rest of settle,” Emma tried, as being an angel for longer than she could remember that was sometimes what if felt like. She didn’t mean to complain about it as she loved it, still she wished that she could work here in this stable for the rest of her life, just tend to the horses and be with Regina, without thinking even she pressed her lips hard against her, kissing her in a needy and desperate way. Tears stinging in her eyes, she couldn’t do it, leave this place and go to another person again. She needed her in a way she never felt the use for or need for anyone before her. As she broke for ear, she breathed hard, holding on to her, seeing she was as calm as the sea on a quiet day.

“Easy, no need to hurry, we have all day,” she said, not caring if she skipped her lectures, she could always get the notes from her best friend Belle later. She was sure her parents would be too busy with Lena in any case to keep attention on where she was for some time yet.

“I…have never been with anyone,” Emma admitted, not because angels couldn’t be together of course, they just didn’t have the need in the same way humans did.

“Neither have I, so that makes us equal,” Regina said in a soft tone.

Another tear left Emma’s eye as she felt more special than she had ever felt. She just wanted to hold this girl, this woman forever, even if she pointed out that was a very long time. She gently kissed her lips, then nuzzled against her cheek, “I am not sure I am ready for this; can we take it slow and maybe not all at once.”

“Of course, Emma, how about we simply undress and lay down under the sheets resting, holding each other close,” Regina suggested, stroking her check with her thumb.

“I can do that, back to back?” Emma wondered, feeling a little scared still.

Regina nodded, letting her go, carefully removing her shoes, pants, socks, jacket and purple top, then at last her bra, leaving only her underwear on. Emma did the same, slowly, but steady, not knowing why she felt scared about it, but concluded she never had a person see her naked like this. She had gone swimming from time to time, this however was different. Regina turned as Emma removed her bra, seeing the massive tattooed wings on her back, they almost covered her backside from shoulders down to a little below her lower back, the feathers reminded her of that of a bird, some bigger, some smaller, pending on where they sat. She carefully let her fingers stroke over then, and it was odd as it felt like they moved a little under her touch, surely it had to be her mind playing tricks on her. It was no way a winged tattoo could move. She heard Emma let out a soft sigh, making her think that the wings were super sensitive. She leaned in pressing her lips against her shoulder, wrapping her arms around her waist whispering, “You really are an angel in every sense of the word. Did it hurt to have it done?”

“No, I was lucky with the man who did it,” she said, as she couldn’t remember when she got the wings of it hurt.

Regina gently pressed some kisses alongside her feathers, and again it felt like they moved. She didn’t mind it though as she knew the blonde loved it by the sounds she made, still she did find it curious, as surely it shouldn’t be possible. She nuzzled against her shoulder once more, then pressed another kiss whispering, “They are really sensitive your feathers?”

“Yes, some of the most sensitive on my body, so please be careful with them,” said Emma with a deep sigh.

“I promise I always will be,” she said and smiled against her, letting Emma turn in her grasp saying, “It is strange, but it is almost felt like they were real.”

“They are as real as the rest of me,” Emma said with a soft laughter.

“You are an enigma, you know that,” said Regina, pressing a kiss against her nose.

“I thought every woman was,” Emma said, dragging her to her bed, before laying down on it, Regina did the same and snuggled close, holding her, smiling, looking at her she realized how tired the blonde did seem. She didn’t notice until just then how tied her eyes looked or how she seemed to shiver lightly, making the brunette think that she struggled to keep her eyes open. She wrapped her arms tighter around her whispering, “Please sleep, I got you.”

“No, I can’t, my duty is to make sure the horses are fine, that you are safe,” she whispered in her half sleep, yawning. Sometimes being a guardian angel meant that you didn’t get to rest for days at a time, and the blonde was used to it, angles didn’t sleep like humans or rest like them. Now however she felt drained, all she wanted to do was sleep, hold on to Regina, as she crawled closer, resting her head against her bosom, getting comfortable, holding on, knowing she never wanted to let go. The scent of her seemed so intoxicating, yet calming, she smelled sweet apples, coffee, expensive perfume and what Emma could only take to be herself.

“Shhh I am safe and the horses are fine, Emma, just rest alright,” Regina cooed, pressing gentle kisses in between her blonde strands, stroking along her backside, feeling how the feathers moved gently beyond her grasp. Only the movements seemed to still now, on to a point where she only felt the softness of her skin, meaning the blonde was slowly letting herself relax. She pressed another kiss against her blonde strands whispering, “Sweet dreams my angel.”

“Mmm, Gina,” Emma let out, slowly giving up the struggle to stay awake, instead falling asleep in Regina’s arms, feeling safe and protected. Regina watched over her for some time, then fell asleep.

* * *

While Emma and Regina were slowly settling, Cora and Henry had managed to track down Ruby’s apartment and the matriarch was now ringing the doorbell. It soon got opened by a brunette saying, “How may I help?”

“We are looking for our daughter, Lena, rumors have it she is here. We don’t want any trouble, Miss. Lucas, just talk,” said Cora calmly.

“I suppose I can agree to just talking, but if I hear either of you raise your voice, I have to ask you to leave, she has been through enough as it is,” said Ruby, holding her stand.

“We understand,” said the older woman with a nod, she was not used to someone being so steadfast, and for the first time in her life she felt intimidated. The brunette gestured for her to follow them into the living room of the apartment where Lena sat curled up under a blanket, drinking from a mug while watching TV, Ruby looked at her saying, “Love, you got visitors.”

Lena paused the program she was watching looking towards them, a deep breath as she waited for their reaching, before saying, “Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?”

Cora’s insides cringed seeing her daughter’s face, stitches had clearly been made on her bottom lip, her black eye still swollen and her grimy cheeks evidence that she had been crying. She by instinct went to sit down next to her to inspect the injuries further, before asking, “Who did this to you?”

“It was Zane, but it was my fault,” she said with a heavy sigh.

“No, he had no right to hit you, no matter what happened,” Cora spoke in a gentle tone.

“Like you are the one to talk,” said Zelena with halfhearted laugh.

“I know…I know,” said the older woman with a heavy sigh.

“What did you do, for him to hit you, my dear?” her father tried, knowing how hard it had to be for wife to see. He knew all too well how much she struggled with the damage she had caused on their children, both earlier in their lives and in their presence.

“I…he got me pregnant and I didn’t want to have an abortion, my body, my choice. I told him to use protection also, he wouldn’t, so this is not fully my fault, Emma helped me see that, so did Ruby. I know this child will be born out of wedlock, as I am not going back to him and I beg you not to make me do so. He only wanted me for my money, to have fun with, he didn’t want children before much later, and I am sure he would have taken a mistress when it happened,” said she with a heavy sigh.

“I see,” her father said, exchanging a look with his wife. There was no way he or they would force Zelena to go through with that.

“I…have a plan for the baby so you won’t have to worry about that, I won’t ask you for anything,” said Zelena calmly.

“I never thought you would, but as this is our grandchild your father and I will of course help you in every way we can. We won’t you marry him, and if you want to finish your education, we will certainly make that happen, even with the baby, or if you want to work or be a stay at home mother. You are right it is your body, your choice, but I we need to know if he abused you more than this once, because if he did, we will not let him get away with it,” said Cora in a stern tone.

“He…did, he just didn’t harm what could be seen until now. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to think I couldn’t handle him, I mean the marriage, I thought it was how it was going to be. You and daddy fight too, you have raised your hand more than once,” Zelena said with a heavy sigh.

“I know I have done that, love, and I regretted it every time, but no it is not how it should have been, I learned from my father. But I am slowly getting better at controlling my anger, I talk to my therapist about it every week. And your father is my rock, we talk a lot as well. We are sorry if we led you to think that was normal, and that you felt forced to stay with him. I wish you would have come to us sooner, but I get what you didn’t and we won’t this child, our grandchild even if he or she is born out of wedlock. What I am wondering about is you and Miss. Lucas plan to raise it together or not?” Cora asked in a soft tone.

“We do, we talked about it last night and again this morning, straightening things out, it is not how we planned things to be. I have done her wrong and I intend to fix those wrongs, and she has agreed to try to forgive me for those wrongs. It will take time I am sure, but it will be worth it in the end,” said Zelena in a serious tone.

“Very well, is there anything your father or I can do?” Cora wondered, still holding her first born close.

“Yes, there is something I have been needing to ask, and I would like to know, but I am okay if you two do not wish to answer,” she took a deep breath.

Her father came to sit down in a chair next to the table they were sitting by as Ruby came into the living room, “Can I offer you two some coffee, tea or breakfast?”

“Coffee is fine, she takes her black, and I with a little sugar please,” Henry answered, and smiled at the brunette.

“Yes, sir,” she said and smiled back at him.

“So you wanted to ask us something?” he said, looking at his oldest daughter.

“I wanted to know if daddy is my biological father, if he isn’t why did he agree to raise me as his own?” she said, looking from one to the other.

“First, my dear, you need to keep in mind that it isn’t always biology that makes a parent and secondly I am not that your biological parent, but I am your father by any meanings of the word,” Henry said in a soft tone.

Lena looked at her mother, that said, “When I was not much older than you are now, I worked in a bar, to get a little money on the side. I didn’t have to, lord knows my parents had enough, still I wanted my freedom and so I started working there, on the side of school you know. People called me well a whore, I had a reputation for sleeping around with anyone that walked in. Truth to be told I was a flirt back then, if you don’t believe me you can ask the grandmother of your girlfriend, man she hated me. I even had an encounter with her mother once, we both liked the same guy when we were young. In any case, one day your biological father walked inside, his name is Jonathan Gaston if you ever care to look him up, and of course he came to order a drink. We started talking, he said he was heir to a big fortune and so on. He said he lived at the estate that belongs to the White’s, turned out he only said it to have some fun.

In any case he was just one of the helps at the estate and I got pregnant with you. I told him, he said it wasn’t his problem and left. Now by the time he left another young man was a frequent customer at the bar, one that tended to defend my honor, that is the man sitting right over there, your dad. It was a late night after I closed up the bar that I got in a heated argument with Leopold White’s girlfriend saying I cheated him on some change for some drinks, he said I didn’t, but she wouldn’t give it a rest and we started fight, it ended up with him getting in between, dragging her off me. I never saw either much after that. In any case there I was on the ground, pregnant, bleeding, and humiliated. I just wanted to go back in and get really drunk so I lost you, you know, because I knew my parents would most likely throw me out if they found out. That is where your dad found me, he hadn’t been drinking that night, he was out with some of his friends only. He took me to the hospital to get me patched up and then home to his apartment. We talked through the whole night, I told him everything, about Jonathan, about the fight with Eva, about not knowing what to do, because it was all a huge mess, and he sat there, listening.”

Cora stopped to take a breath and a sip of the coffee that red had brought out, she gave her a nod as a thank you. Her father continued, “I couldn’t help but to feel bad for her, of course I knew about the many rumors spread around, but still I knew only half of them were true. I knew that your mother for sure wouldn’t cheat anyone of their money, that it had to be something more behind it. Turned out that Leo had an eye for your mother, but she didn’t care much for him. She didn’t care for much of the men in the bar or in her classes I believe. We had talked once or twice and I really liked her as she wasn’t one of the girls that stuck on stupid, she was rather the other way around, smarter than most and could stand her ground. I asked her how far along she was and she told me. I told her I would marry her and pretend it was mine if she would have me, no one would ever have to know. And so we did. Why I would want to care for a child that wasn’t mine, it was because I never saw you as anything else, Lena, simple as that. I was the one that took care of you long before you were even born, even felt your kicks and along the time before you were born, we fell in love.”

“That we did, and I have loved him ever since,” Cora said and gave him a loving glance.

“We hope it doesn’t change anything now that you know this,” her father said, looking at her.

“No, I don’t care, you are my dad, I just wanted to know the truth that is all, and I rather have you than him anyway. He was an ass for leaving mom behind, and Zane is an ass for not wanting this little girl, I know it is a girl, I can feel it,” said Lena with a soft smile.

“I shall still talk to Marjorie about it,” said Cora she was his mother and one of her friends.

“I don’t want him back or for him to have anything to do with the baby, I just want him to own up to what he did,” said Lena with a heavy sigh.

“Be as it may, they deserve to know what their son did to you and pay the penalty for it,” Cora said, before she changed her tone to something somewhat softer saying, “I can’t believe I am going to be a grandmother.”

“You are, and dad is going to be a grandfather,” said Zelena, smiling through her tears.

“We sure are, there is one thing I am curious about, how did you and Miss Lucas end up being a couple to begin with,” said Henry, looking from one to the other.

“Should you tell the story or shall we do it together?” Lena asked, looking at her love.

“I think that we should tell it together,” said Ruby leaning against the wall, smiling at her. Zelena nodded and started to tell her parents about the time she met Ruby and she saved her life.

* * *

It was late at night and Emma was taking in a couple of the horses for a late feeding, they had been out a bit longer than usual since it had been good weather and since August was a bit ill that day so he hadn’t been up for riding them. Emma knew both Zeus and Hera needed to be taken care for both tonight and the next morning as both horses and a couple of other were being used for a riding class the next morning. She tended to him then her, when she heard voices, which was odd as there should be no one in the stables as this hour. Still she heard talking coming from the midway, Cora and Henry’s. She hid out of view inside the box to listen.

“I just don’t see how we could have been so wrong about Zane, that I could have, if I knew I would never have pressed so hard for them to marry,” said Cora.

“It all seemed fine at first, my dear, and she chose not to come to us,” said Henry.

“Yes, but if she had, this might have been prevented, and I blame myself for it. Not just that, but the fact that he will do that to the next girl and the next as he is sly, and I know if I talk to Marjorie, she will not believe me,” said Cora.

“You are afraid she will say that Lena is a whore, that she was the one bringing this upon herself,” Henry mused.

“Of course, you know how she is, she said the same about me once. Why should that have changed, she is my friend, but she can be so thick headed sometimes. Yet she is the same age as she and her son are a year older than Lena, she should not speak so loudly,” Cora said, resentment clearly showing in her voice.

“So should we talk to her and Zane or do as Zelena wished leave it be?” he asked calmly.

“I don’t know, right now I just want to get some rest, I just wanted to see the horses, they make everything alright,” she sighed.

Emma sighed also, hearing their footsteps slowly vanish, knowing they most likely had gone back up tot the main house. So clearly it wasn’t just the daughters and their father that loved these animals, it was Cora also. The blonde sneaked out of the box whispering, “Malli, I need your help.”

She soon heard the sound of big wings landing behind her, and turned to look at the angel of death. Her blue eyes calm, her blonde hair neatly tucked between her ears, her horns sparkling a bit in the light that surrounded her, her big, black wings flapping lightly even though she stood still, she was wearing a black suit at the moment. Emma knew the female angel could change that and appearance to anything she wished, pending on the one she took over to the other side. It was a perk of being in her position. She didn’t seem all that scary, had it not been for the sinister grin that made shivers go down Emma’s spine.

“You called,” the dark angel said.

“Yes, I was wondering if you are very busy these days?” Emma said, feeling a little undermined by this creature.

“Nothing more than usual I am escorting the usual soul or hundred across, some good, some bad, you know how it is,” she shrugged.

“I suppose so, in any case I need a favor, or hoped for one, there is this guy, he is bad news, and I was hoping you could scare him just a little,” said Emma, looking at her.

“Scare him to death or just teach him a lesson?” the other angel wondered.

“You decide, you know I could never ask for the first. I shouldn’t even talk to you in the first place, but he harmed my persons family, and I know he is likely to hurt more. He only gets away with it due to his high status,” said Emma, frustration in her voice.

“I see and I will look into it, after all we angels should stick together, light or dark, what is his name,” said the dark angel.

“Zane Brightburn,” said Emma with a heavy sigh.

“He is the son of Marjorie and James Brightburn, and stand to own a fortune if either die as he is first in line over his sister Ashely If I am not mistaken,” said Maleficent thoughtfully.

“I honestly don’t know the family that well, I mean I know that is his mother’s name, but that is all. How do you know about them?” Emma asked curiously.

“Old Brightburn died last year, heart attack he was not a nice man either, I took him downstairs, in any case, his daughter Marjorie took over the firm as she was soul heir. She was a kinder soul than her father. Her husband isn’t a bad guy, if you don’t count his prejudice for the lower classes and he sometimes rises his hand to his children. Their son learned from him and his grandfather, as he is said to be ten times of what he was, and the demons are making a bet about which of his exes end up killing him,” said Malli with a shrug.

“I see, well from what I saw he did to Lena he does for sure deserve whatever comes his way,” said Emma, taking a deep breath.

“I agree, and I will pay him a visit, you do know it is not many I will do favors for so consider yourself a very lucky angel, Emma,” she said and gave her a wink.

“I know, I have a question for you since you spend almost as much time here as the rest of us, if not more, have you ever been in any kind of relationship with a person?” Emma asked, not beating around the bush.

“I have and am, I have two earthly children even, they live with their mother and I dread the day when I have to take their souls over to the other side,” said she with a deep sigh.

“So it is possible to have a lasting relationship with a person,” Emma said more to herself than anyone else.

“It is, but you have to hide your true identity or give it up completely to do so. In any case, I need to go, there is another soul that is departing,” she said and with that she was on her way. Emma looked after her, wondering if it was wise to be with Regina or not. She sighed as she went to her room, only to set the alarm for her to get up for the morning feeding the next morning. Noticing how her bed still smelled like Regina, she snuggled up, wondering what the brunette was doing just then, before grasping one of her books to read it.

* * *

While Emma were taking in the horses, Regina was up in her room with her friends Belle and Kathryn. The blonde was looking at her with wide eyes as Regina told them what she had done with Emma. Belle was the first to speak when she was done and said, “So you just slept together?”

“I watched over her more than I slept but yes, it was nice, she is different,” said Regina with a soft sigh.

“Different how?” Kathryn wanted to know.

“I am not sure if I can explain, but it is like sometimes when she is excited or happy her hair shines like the finest gold, and her tattooed wings, when I touched her it was like the feathers moved underneath my fingertips. It is almost like she is an angel, although that is stupid right? But if she is it would explain why she can’t remember much of her childhood and so on, because she has probably been one for ages. Just imagine if those wings were real,” she said, looking out in the air with a dreamy eyes.

“Regina, you do know angel, ghosts and goblins do not really exist and that you likely felt muscles under her tattoo,” said Kathryn rolling her eyes.

“And I am telling you those wings are real, and super sensitive, you got a tattoo, right?” she asked her friend, she could remember her mentioning taking it a few years back due to a lost bet.

“Yes, you know I do,” she said taking her top off and showing off a tattoo with three colorful butterflies. One of her many regrets Regina knew, her parents had given her hell when the blonde came home with them. She had used a false ID card and some saved up money.

Regina let her fingers trace over it, but felt only what was there, the skin, no movements, no nothing, it wasn’t like with Emma’s at all. She shook her head saying, “No it is not the same.”

“I think you are just over heels in love with her and see only what you want to see,” Belle said with a soft laughter.

“Maybe, I guess you both are right, as there is no way angels really exist,” said Regina, thinking that, “To me she is one, no matter what they say.”

* * *

As the fall turned slowly towards Christmas, Emma was still taking care of the horses along with August. It now felt like she had been there forever and she was even starting to look forward to spending Christmas there for the first time in her life. What was even stranger was that she hardly missed her prior life anymore, she was happy here, at peace and she got along great with the members of the family.

She was getting Zeus ready for Henry’s ride early morning, when she thought about an event that happened a few days after Zelena had announced her pregnancy. She had been invited to the big apple harvesting. The blonde angel was excited about it as August and some of the staff talked about how much fun they had this day. The family invited over friends and their families, the family of their servants was also there picking the apples of the trees in the fields and sending them to the factory in big boxes, making apple cider, and other apple products.

Everyone that helped got a little and the rest got sold. It was the family’s side business. Even Granny and Cora had mended their fences beforehand. The older woman had brought over tons of food for when they were done with the big harvest, everyone was gathering up at the estate, eating and talking, making the most of what was left of the day, having fun until early morning. It had been a good day, and she had watched as Regina fell asleep on the couch in the living room, completely drained. As she and August made their way back to the stables, she had seen a glimmer of light and excused herself catching up with Malli that told her Zane was taken care of. She learned later he ended up in jail when his parents found he went too far with yet another girl, it was all over the papers. Still the night and the day before it had been perfect in every way.

The blonde had checked on Thunder Storm earlier that morning, the foal was growing just fine, having the white color of his father and a black star and four white socks, his mother was a black mere, and was the cutest thing. The blonde had a weak spot for him and had promised to break him in when the time came for that. She took Son of Zeus or Zeus as she called him outside just as Regina’s father came walking. He smiled at her, his cheeks red from the cold saying, “Make sure the stable is locked up properly tonight, it is said to be the first winter storm.”

“Of course, Sir, August and I will make sure it is, so the horses are safe. We will start right after dinner to be on the safe side,” said Emma with a firm nod, hanging the bridles over to him.

“Good, I have sent a notice out to all the riders so they won’t come in today, same with my family members. Regina said she wanted to check on her horse, just in case, she should be down around 3 pm, as she is home from school then,” he said as he got on the horse.

Emma didn’t say anything to that, instead started on the round to make sure all the horses got their morning feed, letting a few out in the paddocks after for a bit of fresh air. She then had lunch with August, before they did the mucking of the stables, and taking the horses back inside. She smiled seeing Regina coming towards them saying, “Jilly wanted you to have the two of you up for dinner at four today, she is also preparing food for you to take back down here, since we don’t know how long the storm will last. May be just tonight or longer.”

“Alright, we will follow you back up then, when you go back,” said August with a nod, going to lock up the indoor riding area properly, giving the two of them some privacy.

“Promise to be careful, will you,” Regina said with a heavy sigh. She was always more worried when the weather was bad. One of their horses has managed to run off due to an earlier storm late November, and got killed by a falling tree. It couldn’t be saved. Emma and August had taken more precautions after that.

“I will be inside my room, I promise,” Emma said, cupping her cheek, before kissing her lips, gently.

“Good,” said Regina as she broke the kiss, walking towards Guinevere’s box, giving her horse and apple and two sugar cubes. She made sure to give her some extra cuddles as well, kissing her soft fur, before locking up the box.

Emma watched her, she did really love that horse she knew, opposite of many other horse owners she had meet in her life time. She didn’t say anything as Regina wrapped her arm around her waist, holding her, resting her head against her shoulder. Emma wrapped her arms around her neck, closing her eyes, leaning against her. They did spend every stolen moment together, still the only thing they had done thus far was hold each other, gentle kissing and sleep together. Regina had decided to try to sneak out of the house on Christmas eve and be back Christmas morning and give herself fully to her stable angel, she knew it was time. She didn’t let go until they heard August’s footsteps and knew it was time to walk back up to the house for dinner. They held hands all they way there, knowing that Regina’s parents most likely knew about them, but they hadn’t said anything about the matter thus far. Instead they left it be, to see what happened. After what happened to Lena, they had stopped forcing more suitors on Regina, still they let Lance come and go as he pleased, as he was a loyal friend to their daughter.

Emma and August ate their dinner with the staff as they always did, then took with them what Jilly had prepared back down. After they double checked the boxes and locked up from both the outside and inside, they walked to the room they shared. It was like a small living room with a TV that was now unplugged, a small kitchen, a couch, a table and some shelves. August put on a coffee maker asking “You want a cup?”

“Yeah, making it extra strong,” Emma said, knowing it would be a long night as the horses didn’t like storms any better than they did.

“Of course,” he said as she found a chess board and a deck of cards, something to pass the time. After a couple of rounds, both went to their rooms, deciding to check on the animals every other hour, he would go first, then she and so on, until the next morning.

* * *

Emma sat the alarm in case she fell asleep, she was going to check at midnight then again at 4 am. Around midnight the storm was still going strong, but the horses seemed to be quiet and so she went back to bed. She never knew what it was but she always seemed to sleep ever so peaceful during storms and so she did this night also. At least until the next alarm went off by 4am. She had a bad feeling as she got out of bed, it only got increased by the loud noises the horses were making as she neared the stable. 

One of the main valley rafters on the ceiling had blown off, snow was coming inside as a big part of the roof was missing. The blonde angel sighed, making her wings appear, only to up to fix it. She did as best she could, before flying back down. She retracted her massive wings and then went to calm down the horses. When she finally managed, another three of the common rafters got off, she flew back up, truing to fix it, not seeing one of the ridge holding main of the roof was caving. As she was descending it gave weight, it made the middle collapse. Before she could react, it fell on her dragging her down, trapping her wings underneath. Emma screamed out in agony, trying to break free, but knew she wasn’t strong enough of her own. She felt pains stronger than she would ever be able to describe going through her, as she lay in the middle of the stable, whimpering. She tried adjusting, knowing one of her wings was badly broken whispering, “Malli, Ingrid, Lord, anyone help me.”

The last thing she remembered before blacking out, was some of horses nuzzles pushing the pieces of broken wood away more of the horses standing around her sheltering her from the brutal weather.

* * *

It was about two hours later that August came out in the stable, by then the storm had stilled. He could still feel it something was very wrong, when he saw more than one box was open. The horses seemingly standing in a ring in the most open space in the stable, underneath the broken roof. He pushed them outside, seeing Emma lay there, one great white wing seemingly unharmed, but the other was leading and clearly damaged greatly.

“Dear Jesus,” he whispered, swallowing, dragging two of the horses towards the main entrance to the stables, and outside in the high snow whispering, “Zeus, Guinevere, please get up there and get help. This angel has given all for you since she came here, now she might die, hurry.”

He watched as the horses making their way up to the estate, before he walked back to Emma, checking her pulse, it was weak, but still there. It occurred to her that she might not be able to die fully, considering she was an angel. Still the pain she felt had to be unbearable. He stroked her whispering, “I will help, you, it will be okay, just hang in there.” Then he slowly started on the task of freeing her.

Cora woke with a jolt hearing the horses neighing and making noises outside. The bedroom was above the main entrance. She got out of bed and walked over looking at the snow-covered estate and the two horses. Something was wrong she knew, very wrong or the horses wouldn’t be there. She walked back waking her husband saying, “Emma or August have to be hurt, get a hold of the doctor and have him meet me at the stables. I will take the first aid kit down to see if there is anything I can do, and bring some of the servants with me.”

She quickly got dressed and found the kit in the storage room downstairs, then making her way outside with two of the male servants, Mateo and Adam. They struggled through the high snow and into the stable with the horses. Once inside Cora yelled, “August, Emma, are you here?”

“Over here,” she heard August’s voice, walking quickly. Seeing the woman on her belly, she made the men remove the remainder of the roof fully, then she sat down on her side. She sighed as she said, “So she wasn’t a human after all.”

“No, just one of God’s noble creatures. I am guessing a Guardian Angel of some kind, any idea how to treat a wing?” he asked, looking at her.

“I can at least try to clean the wound,” she said with a heavy sigh. She quickly found what was needed and cotton starting to do so, wondering if she should call a wet in addition to their house doctor. As she started to clean the wing, they could hear the angel whimper in pain. August, took one of her hands in his own whispering, “Shhh, we are right here, we won’t harm you.”

The middle-aged woman continued to clean it until the doctor arrived. His eyes widened, still he didn’t say anything, just looked at it, estimating it was broken, but possible to repair. He quickly started on the task, much like he would a human bone. Making sure it was held in place with a bandage so the bones of the wing could grow back in place. Once that was done, he made sure the minor cuts were properly cleaned and taken care of.

With help they carefully managed to get her up to the estate and lay her on one of beds. He attached a drip so that would help her state. Then injected medication that would make her sleep for some hours and take some of the sting of the pain off. He said he would be back in the evening, to call if there was any changes good or bad, and to try to get her to drink and eat when she woke. He also told them her body was banged up but nothing more than the wing was broken so she would be sore and need help for a little while ahead as he was not sure how long it would take for a wing this big to heal. Cora and Henry agreed to help her to get back on her feet or wings, it was the least they could do. Of course, it would not escape the estate that they had a real angel there, not that it mattered as no one would believe them anyway.

* * *

The blonde angel didn’t know for how long she went in and out of consciousness. She only knew that whenever she returned and her eyes slipped open in the human world one of the persons in the Mills’ family was by her side. The made sure she got something to eat or drink or both, carefully getting her in a sitting position to get it in her. She knew she was more in the place with no time, just floating around, feeling no pain of any kind, no worries, just floating around now as a little ball of energy, not in her person body. She liked it that way being allowed to just be a ball of energy, it made her feel freer and more alive.

In times of confusion over the many years, in the years she had lived as an angel the place made her clear her head, only to help her understand her persons more easily. If there was any way to do so. She also noticed that whenever she was conscious during the night, Regina was sleeping next to her, and if she woke, she did too. Holding her closer without harming her wings, she did as promised the first time they slept together, being careful with them. She however even in her haze noticed that whenever Regina tended to her wounded wing, by cleaning the wounds, gently stroking it, or kissing it, it helped the healing process for whatever reason. And so it was a day she was in the place with no time she called for her maker, the energy that made everything she figured in time, the one that seemed to have many names for the different beliefs on earth, but was still the same she knew.

“You called my, child,” she heard his thundering voice.

“Yes, father, there is something I need to ask,” Emma responded with a sigh.

“I have long sensed you would, so how may I help you my child?” he wondered.

“It is my person, my current one, she confused me so, she makes both my human and angel brain go nuts. Not in a bad way and when she touches my wings when she cares for them, they seem to heal faster, father. I heard the human kind talk about this true love and soulmate thing, but does that apply to me? I am supposed to be a guardian angel, moving from person to person, not stay around, still this place feels like home,” she said with a very heavy sigh.

“I have noticed that, my child, and you have to keep in mind it doesn’t always have to be one of the other. Look at Malli, she is the angel of death and she have and earth family also. She makes it work, same with a couple of my other angels, but it is difficult.

Humans does it too, have a long-distance relationship, living apart, in other cities, in other countries, but they are still together. This true love, this soulmate thing as you call it, it doesn’t happen often, some even spend a lifetime looking for it. I know she is your person, Emma, I sensed she would be when we sent you here, she protects you as much as you protect her and her family. She really does love you, which is why your wing respond to her. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to stay here forever, and it would be alright to ask if that is your wish. You have worked for so long, helping your persons to be the best they can be, encouraged them, helped them believe in themselves when it all seemed lost, made sure they were happy and could manage on their own before you left them behind. You have done so much for so many and they will be forever grateful, maybe it is time to do something for yourself,” he said calmly.

“Am I allowed to think about it, father, or do I have to decided right this moment?” Emma asked.

“Take all the time you need, my child,” he said and with that he was gone, she could feel his presence, as she usually always could, but she knew that for now he was elsewhere.

A deep breath as she united with her human body seeing she was now alone for a change. She carefully sat up, groaning a bit as she used her muscles after having laying for a long time. She let her bare feet get used to the floor, before standing up a bit unsteady, taking a few steps, getting used to walking, carefully allowing her wings to spread to their full size, making sure she had room enough. A groan, her damaged wring still sore and not fully working as it should, knowing she ha to wait for sometime longer for it fly. She let them wrap around her body so she could check the damage a bit further, seeing the bandage put on the main bone, it was healing still she knew, the cuts and bruises almost gone and new feathers growing fast and steady. She moved them a bit as she door opened and Regina came inside, “You should be resting, not trying to fly.”

“I am not trying to fly, just stretching them a bit, they get a bit how to put it slow and useless staying still for too long,” Emma explained, giving her a shy smile, adding, “Thank you for caring for the wing, it helped it heal faster.”

“You are welcome, it is the least I could do. After all you have done so much for us and our horses,” said the brunette in a soft tone.

“I did only what I was sent here to do,” said Emma, realizing it came out all wrong, she corrected, “I mean that was what I started to do when I came here. I…am your guardian angel, Regina, and I have tried to the best of my ability to protect you, even if may have not been clear all of the time. Since I was only down with the horses, I felt I couldn’t be there for you when you were up at the house. I usually move on after a period of time, but this time it is different, I want to stay, here with you.”

“You were there, the night of the party, in the bedroom? The coldness on my cheek that was you?” Regina asked. It all made sense now, especially why her hair always shone when she was excited, and how she could feel her wings, now she knew why, they were real. She even showed it to her friends when Emma was out one of the days, they had made wide eyes and wanted to touch them, but she forbade them to. No one came near her Emma, unless it was her family. Even her mother had shown to care for this angel, which was unusual for her to see. In the past month that had passed the four of them had put up a caring schedule so that someone was always with Emma if there was anything.

“It was me, before I was allowed to take human form, I felt so badly for you, that your mother could do that to you, knowing it most likely was not the first time,” Emma said in a sympathetic tone.

“She had calmed after you come here though, she seldom loses her temper anymore,” said Regina, beaming at her.

“That is good news. Even if it only went out on her family, I suspect it is worse for her,” said the blonde angel, moving her wings a bit more, groaning a little.

Regina came closer, her hand stroking over the wounded one saying, “Easy, I know you want to fly, but there is plenty of time for it when it has healed.”

The wing stilled as by instinct within Regina’s grasp, she stroked it gently, noticing how the feathers moved to her touch, and Emma’s eyes fluttered close. She gently pressed kisses against her wing, making a soft sigh escape the blonde. She stopped, pressing one to her cheek, then her lips, feeling like Emma’s energy got transferred to her somehow, making her stronger, noticing how her wings flapped. Opening her eyes in the middle of this kiss she saw bright light surrounding them. She held on to Emma, feeling the angel do this same, knowing this was different than the other times she had kissed her, as she was floating some inches above the ground. She wasn’t worried though, she knew she was safe. She kissed her a little deeper, feeling the kiss got returned, a hand slipping on to her injured wings as she felt the energy surrounding them and everything become brighter as Emma’s massive wings flapped, lifting them higher up. It was only for some seconds but it felt like forever, and afterwards Emma broke free from the kiss and sat down on the bed, sighing, feeling somewhat lost.

“Are you alright?” Worry showing clearly in Regina’s dark eyes as she spoke.

“I…am just not used to this, my emotions they are different than yours, Regina. I feel almost ten times as strongly as you do, on every level. Not only my emotions, but yours as well. Right now, I feel I could burst with happiness, but I am not sure if they are your emotions, mine or both. I am not sure if it is okay to feel like this, because I am supposed to be your guardian angel, your protector first and foremost. How can I be that if I feel the way I do about you?” she said, feeling her words got jumbled off. She felt her wings flapping mildly because she was happy, and knew her light was shining also.

“It is…okay to feel that way, Emma, it is a good thing. I feel that way about you also. I want to protect you from the world. I want to be with you always, you make me feel happy, safe and loved and I don’t want that to end. Mother and father can say what they like, as I know you were sent here for a reason. Maybe you were initially sent here to be my guardian angel, but I think it is more, I think you are the one I am supposed to be with, if that makes sense. Of course, I get it if you just want to be my guardian angel, I am not that special,” she said, insecurity in her voice now.

“To me you are though, special, the most amazing creature that ever lived,” said Emma, blushing shyly.

“No, Emma, you are, with your magnificent wings, your light, and your wisdom,” said Regina, winking at her.

“You knew all along, didn’t you? What I was?” Emma said, as the brunette came to sit down on the bed next to her.

“I suspected, due to your sensitive wings,” Regina said, carefully letting her fingers dance over her feathers.

“Yes well, I am an angel after all,” said Emma with a small laugh.

“Wait since you are real does that mean that unicorns and trolls are also?” Regina wondered, looking at her with curious eyes.

“It is all in the eye of the beholder, but if you are open to magic you may find that it is within the grasp, even closer than you think. I mean think about it just that a woman can give birth to a baby, an ant can carry ten times his or her own weight is pretty miraculous if you as me,” Emma said with a soft smile on her lips.

“Tell me about when Thunder Storm was born, as you must have been there,” Regina said, looking at her with tentative eyes.

“She was scared you know, his mother due to the storm, they all were, yet I was there calming her. She was in pain and you could see it in her brown eyes that she was getting tired, but the storm kept her from delivering as fast as she normally would. Then you sister came and I had to take care of her, I walked back you know and the lightning the thunder, I felt like the heaven was crashing down around us on every side. Still I stroked her next and talked to her, making sure she was alright, making sure she wasn’t in any distress. Oh how beautiful she was, Regina, how she still is. She lay down and I settled in the box to give her space, but not close enough to stress her. And he came out a little by little until he was fully out and she cleaned him. My good girl, she looked so proud,” Emma said, tears in her eyes thinking about it.

Regina nodded, smiling at her as she waited for Emma to continue, “I took care of removing the placenta and so on when it was all fully out, then I stayed watching him take his first steps and suckle milk from his mother. She really did something extraordinary, still it is not unusual, it is just the way of the nature and that is it.”

“I suppose so, still it must be special to witness,” said Regina, her eyes shining like fire.

“It was, but I have seen it before, with other horses and animals, still every birth is different and special,” said Emma with a genuine smile.

“I get that, wonder what it will be like for Lena, I know she is scared about it,” said Regina thoughtfully. Her sister was slowly starting to show, making it more real.

“You can always ask her after,” said Emma with a small laughter.

“Mhm, I take it you cannot get pregnant due to being what you are,” said Regina calmly.

“Sadly no, only if I give up my status and become human,” said Emma in a serious tone.

“I would never ask you to do that,” said the brunette in a calm tone, pressing a kiss to her cheek, then changing the subject, “You want to watch a movie or something?”

“Sure, I don’t mind movies, I find them interesting,” the angel responded. 

The brunette got of the bed and left the room, only to come back with her laptop, she sat up against the back of the bed, Emma joined her as Regina put on the movie Notting Hill asking, “Have you seen it before?”

“I think once long ago, but I want to watch it still,” said Emma snuggling closer to her, draping her left wing around her. Regina carefully snuggled closer, thinking that this, right now was perfect. Emma pressed a kiss against her dark strands feeling much better already.

* * *

The blonde angel didn’t know how many movies they did watch, she only knew that it was at least three or four and they uttered their opinion on the different scenes. Like how Spike saved the day in Notting Hill, and how funny he was to begin with. Regina told Emma he reminded her of her friend Kathryn from time to time. How Darcy and Elizabeth were perfect for each other and that Regina should read the book. Emma had it in her room, one of her favorites. Then it was titanic to which they end up making out a lot to. Still they managed to grasp the main points and it was done, Regina stood up saying, “Dance with me?”

“What, why?” Emma asked confused, eyeing her. She found it an odd thing to request just then.

“Because I didn’t get the chance at the club back then or later and I want to dance with you,” said Regina, holding her hand out for Emma to take. The angel sighed as she gently took it, wondering why Regina’s parents hadn’t come up to check on her or them during the evening as they hardly eaten anything. Maybe they simply allowed them their privacy.

Regina leaned to turn on a song on her computer, leading the blonde gently moving, pulling her close, whispering, “The smile on face lets me know that you need me, there’s a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me.” She was blushing now, knowing that she was really in love with this woman, this angel and she wanted to do anything to make it work.

“The touch of your hand say you catch me whenever I fall. You say it best when you say nothing at all,” Emma whispered against her ear, knowing her wings were fluttering, just like her heart. She loved her she knew, and she could feel the brunette replicating her emotions, making them strong.

“I can dance with you forever, my Stable Angel,” Regina whispered, twirling her and pulling her close. The blonde angel blushed and her hair shone as it was on fire. She was happy, so happy, happier than she had been in the longest time.

“And I with you, Princess,” Emma said, tears in her eyes due to the happiness she felt. She couldn’t help but to wonder if she should be allowed to feel this happy. She smiled as she leaned in to kiss the other woman, feeling that she was finally complete, that their emotions exploded together in a mess as they held on to each other. They seemed to be as one not two persons, melting together as the kiss continued. The angel felt like she was flying, spite the fact that she was standing still. This feeling, this bliss was new to her and it changed her she knew, somehow. She smiled, content to just stand here, kissing her, knowing she was her person, not just a person she was watching over, hoping this moment could last forever.

* * *

Regina looked up at Emma, the angel was floating a bit in the air above her, smiling, she still found it odd that even if Emma was wearing her white singlet her wings could still keep her up like that. She was wearing a set of blue jeans as well. She herself was almost naked as she had just been taking a swim in the pool outside the house. It was summer and the next fall she would start as an undergraduate, just one of the many roads to become a lawyer, much like her mother had gone back in the days. She was now twenty-one and had been with Emma for three years. She was still very much in love with the angel, that to this day took care of their horses. She even had her own now, as her father had kept his word and given the blonde angel a horse of her desire. She had picked Thunder Storm, as the two had bonded since the very start, she had broken in him and a couple of others in the years that had passed. She had also trained another stable girl as they got more horses, her name was Merida and was the same age as Emma, twenty-three. The two bonded over horses as movies much like she and Regina once had. Still the brunette didn’t worry, seeing the blonde and the redhead stable girl bonded more like sisters than lovers. Besides she knew Merida was spoken for as she had a ring on her finger. She knew Emma knew who, but she didn’t say, and so she didn’t ask. After all their servants were entitled to their privacy just like the heads of the house was.

Emma retracted her wings, and sat down on the ground, her head still not far from Regina’s when she lay like that. She smiled as she whispered, “My beautiful Princess.”

“Yes, yours,” Regina mused, thinking that life couldn’t be more perfect. She had her angel, although she didn’t use her wings as much, she would still always be that to her. The blonde was one before she knew about her massive wings, that had healed just fine after the accident and she would be that if she chose to give them up. To Regina Emma would always been the most magical creature in the world.

“And I will always be,” said Emma, her angel senses picking up on something, something wasn’t right. She looked towards the house with worried eyes. Knowing someone else was there, another one like her, meaning one of two things, one in Regina’s family had gotten a guardian Angel also, or Malli was there to take someone away. A shudder went through her by the thought as Regina’s parents weren’t all that old yet, and they both seemed healthy. Still they did overwork themselves, and so it could be either was destined to leave before their time.

“Emma, what is it?” Regina whispered, she could sense something was wrong, by the way her girlfriend tensed up. She knew her to only do that when something was wrong.

“I am not sure, I need to go inside,” Emma said, quickly getting up to do so. She walked through the estate, only to find Malli near Henry’s office. She looked at her friend, tears in her eyes asking, “Do you have to take him, I fear it is too soon for this family that you do.”

“You know as well as I do, I don’t have a choice, when it is time, it is,” she said, sadness in her voice, she did not have a say in who stayed and didn’t. Her job was simply taking them to the other side, making sure their journey that was not taken alone.

“Let me say goodbye, please,” the blonde angel said, looking at her with pleading eyes.

The other angel nodded as they entered the office of the man Emma had considered as the only father figure she had ever known. A kind and good man that did everything for his family and staff, that saw no difference in people as long as they did their best. The one that had given her a horse on her first Christmas there, and had allowed her to stay in his house until her wings healed. She looked at him, steading himself against the desk, clearly in pain. She came closer, helping him sit down as he weakly said, “Emma, you are here and you brought a friend.”

“Yes, this is Malli, she will take you over to the other side when you are ready,” said Emma with a deep sigh. She wasn’t ready for this, she wanted him to walk Regina up the aisle when they in the future got married, play with their grandchildren if they got any. She knew his family would be crushed by this, especially Regina and young Robin, the three-year-old loved her grandfather, and he loved her.

“I see, I think I have seen a glimpse of her before, when my own father died, she is a good one. As are you, promise that when I am gone you will continue to care for my daughter, for our stables as you have done up to now. I know you are most likely to make a great sacrifice doing so, but you are good together, Emma, please don’t let that change,” he said, his voice is weak and he was struggling to get the words out.

“I promise, Henry, I will always be here, is there anything I can do for you at the moment?” she asked, calmly steadying him so he could sit better.

“Yes, in the shelf over there, it is a book, one of my favorites, more of a play, Romeo and Juliet, inside there are six letters, make sure they get delivered and that Cora gets the book, and the one on the left side next to it, she will get the meaning,” he said.

“Yes, of course, just rest alright, it will soon be over,” she said, feeling her heart tearing inside her. It wasn’t that she hadn’t felt grieve before, just not to this extent. She watched as he closed his eyes, his body falling limp, and she saw Malli vanish, knowing it was over. Tears falling down her face like rivers as she went to find the books with the letters, just as there was a knock on the door and Cora entered. She looked from her husband to Emma, asking, “Why didn’t you get me?”

“It happened too fast, Ma’am,” she managed to get out, handing her the books and the letters.

“I see, well I have to call and have them get his body,” she said, taking the two books and leaving the room without as much as a final glance. She made it to her own office in time, before she started sobbing. She knew he had been struggling lately, and he had been getting weaker, still this was more than her heart could handle. She made the call for them to pick up his body, before calling Lena, knowing she was on a weekend trip with Ruby and Robin.

“Hi mom,” she soon heard her daughter in the other end of the phone, cheerful as always.

“Hi, love, I need you to come home at once, it is your father, he just passed,” said Cora, struggling not to fall apart over her phone. Silence in the other end.

“Are you still there?” the older woman asked to be sure.

“I am here, of course we will come back. How and when did it happen?” asked Zelena, her voice was shivering now.

“Not long ago, in his office, I was getting him for lunch, but…” she stopped, she couldn’t bare to get the words out even.

“Aw Mom, I am so sorry, we will be there as soon as we can, alright,” said Lena and hung up after she told her mother she loved her. The middle-aged woman knew she should break the news to Regina, but her eyes fell on the two book, books that she had her husband had read frequently to each other over the years. Then her eyes fell on the envelope, the last words of her husband, she swallowed hard as she opened it and read,

_“My dear Cora, love of my life, my angel of light, my everything._

_If you read this I am gone, but I want to take this opportunity to tell you that the years we had together were the best of my life. Even when we fought, I considered myself lucky to be with someone like you. Your stubbornness was something I always treasured. You always knew what you wanted, from family to work and you always tried to hard to make it all work out perfectly._

_Remember way back when we had our first horses, it was just you, I, Lena and four horses trying to make the wheel go around. I never once considered her not being mine as I was there for every step along the way, and you need to know I adore her wife as well. It is what every father want isn’t it, for his children to be happy. Perhaps it was not with a man as we hoped, but I do think that young woman is the fit Lena needs and she does care for young Robin. Promise me to give them the help and guidance they need if and when they do. _

_Back to the seven of us, it wasn’t that we didn’t have the time or money to be something more, because we did, but we didn’t need more at the time. We were happy, I can still remember how Lena sat in front of me in the saddle and you told me it was crazy. Perhaps it was and perhaps it wasn’t. I know she would make a fine trainer one day if she chose to go in the direction. Much like Regina want to take over the responsibilities of what we started one day. She told me so herself not long ago. Still I want the stables to continue to focus on what we had back then, not make it too big, too many people make it not as personal and messy. Keep it small and within the family and make sure they are happy. _

_We fought enough with the girls growing up, and we were both stricter than we should have been, I know that now. Still it is not too late to show them your gentler nature, the one I have seen more of the past three years, the one I fell in love with. That said I did fall in love with all your sides, good and bad, and I know you will miss me when I am gone, just as I will miss you not being with me on the other side. If I could have wished for anything my dear, it would have been to be your angel as Emma is Regina’s, but I don’t think that is how it works. It would have been too easy; we both know that. _

_Promise me one more thing though, when you feel you are done grieving, try to find someone to keep you company, if it is only a friend, I would hate to see you spending the rest of your days alone. I love you always, to the eternity and beyond._

_Yours always, Henry.”_

Cora looked the letter over once more, realizing it had been written lately, meaning it meant he knew it most likely would end and was prepared for it. She sighed looking at a portrait of the two of them handing in her office whispering, “You left too soon, my love, what am I to do without you?”

Of course, there was no answer and there never would be again, she was never to hear his voice, feel his embrace, argue with him, be made love to be him ever again. He would not be there to dry her tears, encourage her, tell her what to do or not to do. She was alone from now on she knew, if you didn’t count their children, that seemingly managed on their own.

Lena didn’t even live at the estate anymore, she and Ruby owned an apartment together, they had gotten it a year into their relationship, after Robin was born. She sighed knowing that Emma would most likely tell her youngest daughter soon and that she would take it hard. He was Regina’s rock, just as much as she had been hers. The middle-aged heard a ring from the doorbell and walked out to meet them, letting them take her husband with them, before going to her bedroom, their bedroom, that was no longer there when he, her Henry was gone. She curled up on the bed, grasping for his pillow, it smelled like him still and she hugged it so tight, crying. Sobbing uncountably, cursing at God for not taking her first, asking him what the plan was for her now. letting the tears escape her, not caring about the rest of the world. It was her right to grieve and so she would, she cried until it was no more tears left in her, at least for now, then she fell asleep. She lay there on the bed, curled up in a black pantsuit, drained, still sleeping peacefully. Dreaming of him, like he was still there, with her, with their children, not noticing there was someone watching over her.

* * *

When Zelena arrived that evening, she was startled over how quiet the estate was. Not a sound, no servants busing about, the lights seemed to be off on the ground floor at least, no TV or radio on, not a sound. She was used to Emma and Regina being downstairs at this hour, before the blonde angel went to check on the horses for the night, before coming back up. That and her mother watching the news, not to mention that one servant usually followed her in case she needed something. And of course, her father would come from his home office to join her in front of the TV, but right now it was empty, the clear sign of nothing being as it should. Ruby and Robin came right behind her and her daughter asked, “Mama, where is grandma?”

“I don’t know, my love, she might be upstairs, resting,” said Zelena with a sigh.

“Can I go upstairs and give her a hug, please?” she asked, looking at her mother.

“Yes, of course, my little monkey,” said Zelena, motioning for Ruby to follow as the young girl would need someone to open the door. She herself went into the dining room, seeing three envelopes with their names on, and she opened the one addressed to herself. Her fathers last words, telling her how proud he was of her, for managing to raise Robin on the side of her studies, and now work. Hope he cared for them both and hope that in the future they may come back and live on the estate. How she shouldn’t forget her mother, as she would need them both and that he loved her, always. A tear ran down her cheek, over the man that for her whole life had been her father. Not even when she learned the truth had she bothered go looking for the man that was her biological father, she didn’t see the point. Henry had given her all she needed and more, he had loved her with all her heart and she had loved him, she knew that life would be hard without him. The redhead sighed heavily knowing that if Regina and Emma had children, they would not have a grandfather and that Robin knew him way too short. It wasn’t fair, none of this was. She shook her head going into the kitchen figuring she would make something to eat as her mother most likely hadn’t eaten much that day. Speaking of eating, where was her sister she wondered, she settled on the fact she was most likely in the stables with Emma, as she continued to look in the fridge for ingredients for some pasta and meatballs.

* * *

Meanwhile Regina was curled up in the branches of a tree, her behavior wasn’t even logical at this point. She just couldn’t go home, she couldn’t be at the estate, not when she knew that once she walked inside her father would no longer be there. She couldn’t even face the thought of going to his funeral. How was this fair? He wasn’t even that old. She thought about Emma that had told her, she had told her she was with him at that point, that it had happened to fast to get anyone, even her, and handed her a letter. She had gotten upset with her, fought her even before riding off in tears. Angry tears.

She looked up at the sky whispering, “Is this how you punish me for falling in love with one of your stupid angels?”

“You know he would never punish you for falling in love,” she heard a voice from a branch next to her and startled, looking at a young boy with red hair and freckles.

“Who are you, another angel?” she said with a huff.

“More of a forest spirit, looking out for the animals and life in the forests here and there. Timeless like most angels, and I don’t age, make of that what you will,” he shrugged.

“I am not going back,” she said stubbornly.

“I am not telling you to. You are free to stay for as long as you want, opposite others you treat nature well, but your family may need you,” he said, and vanished as soon as he had come.

Regina shook her head, thinking yeah sure they needed her, but what about what she needed? She needed her mother when she was young, she needed her to be stricter, for her to hug her more, to not always be the cause of her pain. She of course knew the older woman did as best as she could with both her and Zelena, and she knew it was wrong to wish that she died instead of her father. And she hated herself for feeling that way. She got down from the tree, and back on her horse, riding back to the estate, stopping Guinevere in front of the stable. She saw Emma walk towards her, looking at her with worried eyes, she just brushed pass her saying, “Take care of her.”

“Of course,” Emma said with a sigh, hating to have her feelings hurt, like now, like earlier when Regina had let anger take place instead of dealing with her grief. She sighed as she took the horse inside to clean her and feed her, before she would go to her room. She didn’t feel like going back to the estate right now.

* * *

Cora had managed to force down some of the food Lena had made, when she heard Regina’s footsteps nearing, hard and angry. She too a deep breath and stood up to face her. She could see from her grimy face and red eyes she had been crying. By now young Robin had been put to bed and it was only her, Lena and Ruby in the kitchen. She sent the servants home as soon as coroner had picked up her husband, she needed peace, but they would be back before morning. She knew she could have looked for Regina, but she preferred that the young girl came to her, knowing she needed time to grieve.

Regina looked at her mother, for the first time in her life the woman didn’t seem all that scary, even if she stood tall and regal as always, it was something about her, something in her eyes that made her less intimidating than she usually was. Still Regina didn’t even doubt as she came closer almost sneering at her, “It should be you that died, it shouldn’t have been daddy, he didn’t deserve to die, you did.”

“Regina,” she heard her sister say, looking at her with shocked eyes.

Regina took her anger her frustration, that had been bottled up for so long out on her, hitting her with closed fists over and over, until she ran out of energy and fell apart, letting her mother embrace her and hold her tight, letting her cry. Cora cooed over her daughter as she had done on a seldom occasion when she was younger whispering, “Shhh, I know, little one I know, just let it out, I got you.”

“It hurts,” she whispered, not apologizing, knowing she probably never would.

“I know and it will for a long time, and you can be as angry at me as you wish if that helps, and believe me I would have traded places with him if I could. Sadly, it is not that easy, so you are stuck with me. It is up to you if you want to let me help you through it or not, but I will be here for you if you let me,” she whispered, gently stroking her, letting her cry. She couldn’t even blame her for being this upset, even if she would be black and blue from her hits. She didn’t care, just as long as she could soothe her.

Regina broke free, looking at her mother with tired eyes, seeing the tiredness reflecting in her eyes, suddenly she seemed so very old. She could easily tell her mother was as broken as she was if not even more so. She didn’t know what to say, there was really nothing to say, and so she simply went with, “Any more food left?”

“Of course,” said Lena, finding a plate so her sister could eat, knowing that this time the family needed more than their usual time to heal. She wasn’t really sure if her mother would heal at all, considering how they found her earlier. She tried to smile when Robin went to hug her, but it was half hearted and having Regina speak to like she did, she knew it had to hurt her even more so. She watched as her younger sister ate quietly under the watchful eyes of their mother. She seemed strong, but Zelena knew all to well she was breaking on the inside and it was not a good thing. She excused herself as she needed rest, a moment alone and she went upstairs to her old room, seeing the old family photos, her hand stroked over one of the pictures with her father as she whispered, “What are we going to do without you, daddy?”

* * *

Emma was floating around in the space with no time, making her human body absent from the human world, still she could somehow sense when she was needed. She was gone for what felt like hours, and didn’t return to her room before midnight. Regina hadn’t returned and she felt confused, should she go up to the estate or leave her be. She shook her head maybe she shouldn’t have gotten involved with her this deeply after all. Her body still bruised from Regina’s hits earlier that evening. She had tried calming her before she rode off for no use. The blonde walked into the stables and took Thunder Strom out of the box, putting on his saddle and bridles, before riding into the night, pass the forest and further away from the estate, tears stinging in her eyes.

“You cannot run away from this, Emma, you need to go back and help her,” she heard Ingrid’s voice.

“She doesn’t need me, she doesn’t want me there,” angry tears, filled with pain falling from her eyes.

“You know that she does, she is just upset and confused right now. You know that being a Guardian angel isn’t always black and white, you had difficult tasks before this,” Ingrid reminded her.

“I know, I know,” Emma whispered.

“Please go back,” the older angel pleaded.

“I…can’t,” Emma whispered, feeling tired, feeling week, feeling broken. She knew that she had been in this human body too long and that she was getting more and more human for each day. Still she didn’t mind, just as long as she didn’t have to feel this gut wrecking pain going through her at the moment.

“You can and I will be there for you if you need me. It is time to go back Emma, to find her, to comfort her and seek comfort in her,” the older angel spoke.

Emma sighed, knowing she was right, and so she rode back, feeling like she was flying, knowing Ingrid had to have used her powers to make that happen. It all went so fast, before she knew it, she was at the stable. She took care of Thunder Storm before she let her wings show, using them to fly up to the estate and land outside Regina’s room, opening the balcony door. She walked inside, making the wings retract, as she walked over to the bed, dressed in a white singlet that turned into a white nightgown, as her jeans vanished.

She saw Regina sit on the bed and spite the fact it was late she was awake, she looked at her, whispering, “I prayed that you would come, and you did.”

“Of course, because that is what I do, I am your guardian angel remember,” Emma said, looking at her confused.

“No, before I knew you, I prayed for God to send me the best angel he had, and he did, you. And I by now know you have been with more people you care to count and it is selfish for me to keep you, because the fact is, I don’t need you in that way anymore, not like before. And you have been so good to me, Emma, so good to the horses and my family, and how do I repay you, acting like mother. I hit you, I hurt you and I know I did, so don’t bother saying I didn’t. What makes it worse is that I love you very much and I don’t want you to leave, not now, not ever, as I need you as more than a guardian angel, I need you as a friend, a love and in the future my wife. But I cannot ask that of you as that is not who you are,” she finished, looking away, shivering lightly. Why did she have to fall in love with her, why?

“But what if that is what to become, don’t I have a say? What if I want to be that, your friend, your lover, the mother of your possible future children, what if I don’t want to leave you again, until we are old and grey and we don’t have another choice. Yes, you hurt me, but it was acting from your grief and I know you won’t do so again, because I know you, Regina, it is not who you are. You very seldom take your anger out on anyone, but you needed a release and I don’t blame you; you lost the one you loved the most and it must hurt more than words can every justify. And so, I will not hold it against you, today, tomorrow or in the future, as you are allowed to feel, act and grieve the way you see fit, but please let me help you through it,” Emma spoke, slowly moving closer to her.

“Oh Emma,” she whispered, wrapping arms around her, holding her tight, whispering, “I wove I shall never harm you ever again, you have my word on it.”

“I know you won’t, Regina, and even if I don’t know your word, I appreciate it. So do you want to talk about how you feel, cry, rest?” Emma wondered, gently cupping her cheek, stroking it.

“I just want to sit her with you, is that alright, if we could just sit here for now, not thinking about anything, no titles, no past, just the future, just the two of us right now in this very moment?” Regina looked up at her with insecure eyes.

“So basically, you are just a girl asking another girl to be with her,” Emma said, a sheepish grin on her face. She knew she was twisting the words of the first movie they saw, and the one that ended up being their favorite movie over the years, Notting Hill.

“Yes,” Regina whispered, daring to kiss Emma’s lips ever so gently.

The blonde angel returned it, feeling her wings flutter underneath the skin. The sadness she felt over Regina’s father moments before seemed to vanish, her worries as well, as she knew she was exactly where she needed to be, home.

* * *

** _10 Years Later. _ **

“Mom, hurry up or we will be late for cousin Robin’s birthday party,” Henry’s Mills voice sounded from the hallway. The kid was dressed in a pair of brown slacks, a green shirt, with a belt around his waist. He had tied a scarf around his head, and over his shoulder hung a quiver with arrows in and in his hand a bow. He had been overly excited to get the invite to his cousins 13th birthday some weeks earlier. It was a dress up party in the theme of Robin Hood. One of their favorite tales, because he took from the rick and gave to the poor, which young Henry found to be very admirable.

“I am coming,” Regina’s voice sounded from upstairs. She was dressed in a medieval styled dress, which was light purple, with a pink ribbon around her waist. She also had a pink veil handing from a golden crown on her head. She was supposed to be maid Marian. She sighed as she walked down the stairs to join her son, the hero of the Sherwood forest. She smiled at the excitement making it hard for him to even stand still. He was the one she loved the most for sure, if one didn’t count her wife Emma.

“Is ma going to meet us there?” Henry asked, afraid she wouldn’t come.

“She is,” said Regina with a nod, wondering if Emma had even remembered to buy a costume for the party. She had mentioned she was going to, but had left it as that.

“Good, you remembered the presents,” the seven-year-old boy pressed.

“Of course, they are already in the car, so shall we go young thief?” she said with a heartfelt laughter.

“Uh huh,” he said and round out to the car. She shook her head, grabbing her purse as she walked out to the car to join him.

Emma looked at the time as she finished up with the horses. Even after ten years she still took care of the horses at the Mills’ estate. She knew she by now could have found another occupation, but she didn’t care for one as she was happiest when she was with them. The only difference was that instead of living in her old room by the stables, she lived at a mansion close by with Regina and their son Henry. She knew that when the time came, they or Zelena would take over the big house Cora still lived it, but hopefully that would be long way ahead.

The former angel knew that the older woman had taken the death of her husband hard, but that she hadn’t been alone to deal with it, as there had been a creature by her side for years making sure she was alright. Just like she had done with Regina. She only knew that the creature taking care of Cora was one of darker nature, still it was pretty harmless. She had talked to him once or twice, a male with dark hair and eyes darker than anything she had ever seen. His wings massive and bat like, he called himself Andy of all things. He was almost as harmless as a fly, unless you hurt the one he set to protect. When he was with Cora, he took human form as herself, only he was older, much like the one he protected. He encouraged her and helped her back to life, when she could hardly do so herself. And when in time the older woman a few years back found a new love, he hid in the shadows, and only came when she needed him the most. She used to joke that since she was not as pure as Regina, she would only get a demon as a protector, not and angel as he daughter. Emma knew it was more to it, than that as you would have to be very special to even have a chance of the lord downstairs to send you that. You had to have done something really bad or have incredible strength of some kind or both. Emma didn’t care though as long as her mother-in-law was happy and not taking her anger out on anyone.

She sighed as she dragged her black leather booths on, last piece making her look like the Disney version of the sheriff of Nottingham. She smiled to herself, knowing what the reaction of her wife would be when she saw her, complete with a huge gold chain and all. She even added wolf ears and pained on a wolf snout to complete the ensemble. She walked with secure steps to her yellow bug, starting her drive towards the party.

“Mom, you think granny C will come?” Robin said, as she looked at her mother. Lena’s red hair was tired in a ponytail to keep it out of the way while she was cooking. She smiled at her daughter dressed as the thief of Nottingham forest. She had named her Robin after the robber as it was the fairytale, she seemed to respond most to when she was younger.

“Of course, but don’t expect her to dress up,” said Lena, she couldn’t picture her mother doing that as she never did when she and Regina were younger. She hadn’t when Henry or Robin hosted theme parties on earlier events either.

“No, I don’t care, as long as she gets here, I miss her,” said Robin, that didn’t see her grandmother as often as she wished, being busy with actives outside of school and the schoolwork itself took time.

“I am sure she will, she responded yes to the invite,” Lena reminded her, with a soft tone.

“Alright, because I wanted to ask her if she wanted to ride with me tomorrow,” said Robin excitedly.

“I am sure she won’t mind that either,” said Lena giving her a gentle smile.

“Cool, I am going to help ma decorate,” she said and vanished out of the kitchen. Lena shook her head as she continued to marinade the things that they were soon going to grill. She smiled seeing Ruby come into the kitchen not long after, it seemed that the two of them did everything together after the brunette helped Lena though her father’s death and then the pregnancy years earlier. It was usually the brunette that was home with their daughter, while Lena worked odd hours, having taking over control of the family business a few years after her father’s passing. Still both Ruby and Robin liked to ride and they sometimes came with her to the estate.

“You alright, babe?” Ruby asked, seeing something that looked like sadness in Zelena’s eyes.

“Yes, I just wish dad was still here at times you know,” said Lena taking a deep sight.

“I get that, and we shall always remember him,” said the other woman, going over to hug her wife and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“I know,” she said, a soft smile gracing her red lips now.

“Shall I take the meat outside?” Ruby wondered, nodding towards the tray. The redhead nodded as they heard the doorbell. She could in the distance hear the door being opened and their daughter squeal with joy. That was how Lena saw her, as theirs, not just hers, it was only fair as they had raised her equally. She smiled, soon seeing her mother appear in the doorframe to the kitchen saying, “Hello, my little one.”

“Mommy, you came!” Lena explained, her smile growing wider, seeing the older woman, now with strikes of grey in her auburn hair.

“Of course, I couldn’t miss my granddaughter’s birthday. I am sorry if I haven’t gotten a costume for it, but I have been a bit unwell lately,” she said with a heavy sigh.

Lena broke free from Ruby, going over to hug her, “I don’t care, I just care that you are here, that you came. Is Gabriella with you also?”

“Yes, in the living room with Robin, she drove. Don’t know what I would have done without here, she is a blessing in disguise,” said Cora, a smile on dark red lips.

“Good, why don’t you go sit down, and I will bring you something to drink, white wine right?” Lena questioned.

“Just a glass of sparkling water for now, dear,” said she and walked back into the living room. Ruby smiled and went out the back to the barbeque, and Lena found a glass of sparkling water, seeing how her mother talked to Robin as she entered the living room. Gabriella stood close by, the woman’s jet-black hair was in a neat braid and she was wearing what looked like a friar Tuck costume. She was a bit younger than her mother, and they had meet in a grief concealing group. She went out to join them seeing her daughter about to open her presents from them.

Emma and Regina arrived almost at the same time, both parking outside the house. As Emma got out she waited for her wife to do the same. Regina eyed her with a smirk saying, “The sheriff, really?”

“Well, we couldn’t have two of Robin, well three if you count the birthday girl,” Emma shrugged.

“I suppose that is so,” Regina agreed, kissing her wife lightly as she came closer.

“I like your dress, it suits you,” the blonde said with a smile, nuzzling against her cheek.

“Mooms, can we go inside, I am sure we are the last ones here,” Henry said, looking at them.

Regina shook her head, always so eager that son of their, still she got the presents from the back of the car and walked inside.

It was later the same night that Emma stood looking out their bedroom window. The place where her wings once was now just a regular tattoo. She had asked to become fully human when their son was three years of age, he was now seven. She didn’t regret it, still having one’s wings clipped was quite painful she quickly learned. The former angel could still remember the day she asked God to do it, and he granted her that, spite the face she was one of his best. He had asked her over if she was sure, telling her there was no way back once it was done. She had asked him if when she died, she would become and angel once more, and he had told her the chance was small, it all depended on how she would live her current life, and even so it wasn’t sure she and Regina would be angels together. The blonde had nodded and said she understood. 

It was a stormy night it happened, just like the one Thunder Storm was born, in the aftermath Emma was sure it was done so so no one could hear her screams of pain. She had walked outside the stables to lock it up, when she felt it, her wings being torn, not in one quick movement, but bit by bit, it was more painful than anything she ever felt in her whole life. She couldn’t breathe or move and so she crumpled together on the cold ground, screaming out in pain, until she had no voice left, then she curled up, knowing she was bleeding and that she had no power to move inside for help. She only recalled that the door to the stable flew open and Thunder Storm ran past her before she passed out. 

And so, on bad days there still was some pain still going through her, a reminder of what once was. She didn’t mind it though, and she wouldn’t mind becoming an angel again in the future if it came to that. Still she enjoyed being human, only concerning herself about her family, for good and bad. She enjoyed being with the horses and sometimes help with administrative and simply not worry about moving on to another person. Being with Regina and Henry to her was home. She was sad that she didn’t get to carry him at the time, but happy that she could follow Regina each steps of the way. She had never loved her more she knew. And so she did to this day.

“You alright, Emma?” she heard her voice murmur behind her.

“Yes,” Emma said, not turning around.

“You have been very quiet today,” Regina commented, as her wife had hardly said anything all evening, and kept close to her. She didn’t mind it though; she just showed her affection in any way she could in public. 

“Just been a long day, I was simply reflecting over the fact I am content with life as we have it right now,” said she and turned to smile at her.

“I am glad to hear that, I would hate that you regretted giving it all up for me,” said Regina with a sigh, knowing the sacrifice her wife did for her. She was the one that helped her regain her strength, tending to her every need when her wings got clipped. She had cried a lot back then, feeling sorry for Emma, what she had to go through, what she was willing to go through to be with her. Still her blonde angel had told her she didn’t want it any other way as she loved her so. And she had stood by that ever since.

“No, never, it was and is worth it, my wings are just a bit sore today,” said Emma with a tired yawn.

“I am sorry to her that, why don’t you come to bed and rest,” the brunette encouraged.

The blonde nodded and crawled into bed, snuggling up close with her wife whispering, “As long as I am with you, I shall always be home.”

“Mmm as shall I with you, my angel,” said Regina, pressing a kiss against blonde strands, seeing that even in the dim light her hair still sparkled like gold. She knew that angel tick was one God let her keep.

“I am not anymore,” Emma whispered, yawning as she closed her eyes, snuggling closer, feeling the warmth of the other woman. Slowly drifting as Regina whispered, “You will always be my angel and I shall always love you,” because to her the blonde would always be that as she long ago saved her in more than one way, and for that she would always love her, until the end of their days.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story. Feedback is always much appreciated :o)


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